Anatomy of Affection
by Moriyasha Neko-hime
Summary: As a former resident of Hell, Neuro is unfamiliar with certain physical displays of human affection. But as he starts experimenting with Yako, will he grow to like it too much? /Rating may go up as the story progresses/
1. Curiosity - Interest

_Happy White Day, everyone! Since I couldn't get anything posted for Valentine's Day, I decided this would be a good day, since it's the partner holiday. _

_****_

~ Anatomy of Affection ~

**01 -  
Curiosity [Interest]**

Yako choked as she was suddenly snagged by the back of her sweater and yanked backwards to stand directly beside her 'Assistant.' "Wha-what the heck?!" She coughed.

"What is all this about?" Neuro asked blandly, pointing to a nearby couple snuggling on a nearby bench.

"What's _what_ about?" The girl blinked, not seeing anything particularly strange.

The demon grabbed her head and painfully turned it so that she saw every couple standing around the park. Each was wrapped around each other, either gently or tightly, but all were snuggled together in lip lock. "_That_," he said. "Why is everyone trying to swallow each other?"

Turning slightly, Yako gave the hell-spawn a skeptical blink at his bizarre inquiry. "You mean kissing," she said. "People are kissing."

"Kissing," Neuro repeated the word, sampling it even as he stored it away. But he did not release his hold upon the girl's head as he forced her to look up at him. "For what purpose?"

Yako looked at him flatly. "For what…? They're _kissing_," she said, as the word alone should have explained everything. It was White Day, so plenty of women were thanking their boyfriends and such for their gifts. But Neuro's grip on her head only tightened and he twisted her neck to the point it popped painfully before letting her drop to the ground.

"You have stated this, but what is the reason for it?" He repeated, his annoyance at her stupid evasion toward answering clearly showing in his tone.

Rubbing her sore neck, the young woman sat up to meet his darkening green gaze before she realized that he was serious. "You mean you… You really have no idea?" She asked, astonished.

Gripping her small head in his larger hand, Neuro shook his slave so violently he could almost hear her insect-sized brain rattle within the caverns of her skull. The high risk of her neck snapping came as the obvious answer that if he had any clue, he would not be asking _her_ to explain.

"Okay! Okay! Okay!" Yako grabbed his arm in an attempt to halt his actions. "_OKAY!_ STOP ALREADY!"

He at last relented and held her still, allowing her a chance to gather her thoughts to answer his inquiry.

"Kissing is…it's…well…" She stopped, realizing she knew no real way to define or explain the simple act.

Neuro's grip on her cranium tightened. "I'm waiting, bread-crust."

"Owowowowow! It's just a show of affection!" The girl finally blurted.

Neuro stared blankly, raising her to be eye level with him. "Affection?"

"I guess…it's a way of showing…that you care? Maybe?"

The demon quirked an eyebrow, clearly still not understanding. "But what does it do?"

Scratching her temple thoughtfully, Yako shrugged. "I've only ever kissed my parents before, so…"

"You kiss your mother like that?" Neuro motioned toward a couple seeming to crush each other as they stood kissing each other eagerly behind a nearby tree.

"No! Not like _that_!" The girl exclaimed. "There are lots of different ways you kiss someone."

Green eyes met her caramel-colored ones again. "Such as?"

"Like, people sometimes kiss children on the cheek or forehead to show affection or comfort them. That sort of thing. And…there's kissing someone good-bye or hello. Then there's…_that_." She pointed to one of the couple behind the tree.

"Yes. And?"

_Man, this is awkward…_ Yako never realized how difficult it was to explain something that was common knowledge to everyone on Earth until the one person who wasn't native to it asked. "That's basically all there is to it, I guess…"

Neuro at last relinquished his grip on her head as he seemed to think about this.

"Anyway, I have a test is Math class tomorrow," Yako said, gladly changing the subject. "Since you haven't picked up any Puzzles, I figure I'll just go home and—"

Turning to look at her boss, Yako had not been expecting to find Neuro's lips upon her own. It was really nothing more than the pressure of his lips on hers for only a few seconds, but there they were, all the same.

Her first kiss.

The demon 'foreigner' pulled back and observed the wide-eyed shock upon his servant's face as she stood frozen. While her expression was oddly pleasing, he was perplexed and disappointed at the lack of…_whatever_ it was one should get from such things. It was one thing to _show_ how one feels, but surely it had to _do_ something if so many people were doing it. Really, it made no sense otherwise.

"Hm. Nothing of particular consequence."

Neuro's muttered words seemed to snap the girl out of her stupor. Her face was already flushed with embarrassment, but as righteous indignation began to burn her glow shifted to maidenly fury. Her first kiss, stolen by her demonic cohort…and he didn't even value it!

Her blood burning hot, not caring of the ill-fated consequences that were sure to follow, Yako hurled her school bag with every ounce of strength she had. The small part of her brain that wasn't drowned out by anger was vaguely surprised that her cheap school bag actually nailed Neuro right in the face, but she couldn't revel in the surprised expression on the blue-clad demon's face as the bag fell to the ground. She was still furious, and wouldn't let fear or satisfaction overthrow it.

"You! You…_butt_-_face!_" She exclaimed, drawing more than one gaze. "You creep! I hate you!"

Neuro found he could only stare in stunned confusion as Yako turned and stormed away down the sidewalk. He honestly had no clue what the louse was so upset about. It had to be another one of those 'human feelings' that caused so much trouble. Admittedly, the native of Hell had experienced a few since coming to the human world, but he couldn't say they were nearly as sporadic as Yako's seemed to be. 'Female hormones' he believed was the term so widely used.

All the same, the slave had dared to strike her master. The fact it had not hurt in the slightest was beside the issue. Punishment was necessary. Picking up the offending bag off the ground, a grin plastered to his face, Neuro carried it back to the office.

Yako slammed the front door behind her as she entered her home, and ripped off her shoes before tearing down the hall. She barely missed her mother as she headed for the stairs.

"W-welcome home, Yako," Haruka stammered.

"He's awful!" The girl exclaimed over her shoulder as she climbed the stairs. "He's a complete and total snake! How could he do that?! He didn't even care that he stole it from me! My first one! I hope he chokes on the next newspaper he reads!"

The sound of her bedroom door slamming shut ended Yako's tirade.

The dark-haired woman stood at the bottom of the stairs, carefully processing what her beloved daughter had shot out. When she was done thinking, Haruka couldn't help smiling at the girl's distress.

After hastily changing out of her school uniform, Yako quickly went to the bathroom and brushed her teeth. It wasn't really necessary, as Neuro had not actually penetrated her lips, but her in her fury it was all she could think to do. Spitting the minty foam out into the sink, she then gargled a few times before being satisfied enough to leave the bathroom.

Her nose was greeted by the sweet and spicy smell of Chinese food and was instantly downstairs to find her mom setting the table, while the counter was covered by various sized white boxes.

Haruka smiled at her daughter's expression. "Yako, since Miwako-san has the day off, I ordered some take out," her mother said. "How does _Wu Fei's Mei Ling_ sound for dinner?"

"Great!" The young woman smiled, and the two were soon sitting down.

"So, how was your day?" Her mother asked as she served herself a bowl of rice and noodles.

"It was…okay," Yako replied carefully as she grabbed a box of sweet and sour chicken and proceeded to devour it. "How was work? Anything special going on?"

"Oh, just the usual," Haruka waved it away. "Everything going okay at school? You've been able to keep up with everything?"

"Yeah, I guess I'm doing okay."

Haruka carefully observed her daughter's expression before speaking further. "So…whoever it was, kissed you after school?"

Yako hit the table with her fist. "It wasn't a real kiss! It was a steal! And he just—"

She stopped upon noticing the wide grin upon her mother's face and looked down at the table. "What made you think something like that?"

The woman smiled broadly. "Well, the 'snake' and 'first one' that you shouted earlier were pretty clear signs of a stolen kiss. Either that…or you slept with someone." She leaned forward. "You haven't, have you?"

Yako shook her head violently, trying to hide her blush. "You were right the first time!"

Haruka shrugged. "Well, if it had gone that far—"

"It hasn't! It _won't_!" The girl exclaimed, blushing hot red.

"Okay, okay," the magazine editor said calmly. "Do you want to talk about what _did_ happen?"

Yako took another bite as she thought about confiding in her mother. It would be nice to talk to someone, but it wouldn't be particularly easy.

Seeing that her daughter was caught up in her own thoughts, Haruka decided a change in tactics. "Well, I guess I really figured out what was wrong because your outburst was pretty similar to mine."

At this, Yako looked up. "What?"

"Yup, someone stole your Mama's first kiss, too," the woman smiled broadly.

"Was it Dad?" She asked, honestly interested.

Yako was surprised when her mom shook her head. "No, it was actually a friend of his," she laughed. "I remember…it was Festival time at school. Your father and his friend were in a different class than mine, I didn't even know them back then. But we got caught up in how crowded the hall was and… Well, your dad's friend and I were squished against the wall and he ended up kissing me." The sweet glow upon Haruka's face belied the evil of her next words, "I hit him a few times and tried to throw him out the window, but your father and the rest of his friends managed to stop me."

Yako couldn't help the small twitch. It hadn't been so much of a steal as it was an accident on both sides. Plus her mom had been unfair and violent about the whole thing.

"Your father came by my classroom later to talk to me," her mother went on. "I didn't really want to listen to him, but he still managed somehow to admonish me and make me feel bad."

Yako could remember; her dad was always sweet and gentle, but no one could make it through to people like he could. No matter what he was trying to say, he could always make someone see what he meant.

"After that, we started seeing each other," Haruka went on wistfully. "Your Daddy may not have gotten my first kiss, but he certainly owned every one after that."

"That's nice," Yako sighed heavily. "Certainly better than me, I'm sure."

"Oh?" Her mother sat up, interest sparkling in her eyes like a cat. "Tell me about it."

The teenager glared at the wall to her left. "He… We were walking through the park and…a lot of people were kissing. He didn't really understand why everyone was kissing, or why people kiss at all," she said.

"He didn't understand kissing?" Haruka blinked. "That's a little strange…"

"Totally! He had no idea why people kissed!" Yako said, hotly. "So he expects me to explain it, and after I say what I can, he kisses me! He didn't even apologize for it! He acted like it was no big deal!"

"Any tongue action?"

The girl's face burned hot red at her mother's words. "NO!"

"Just asking," her mother said quickly. "And…he didn't push the issue?"

"Even after he kissed, he still didn't seem to get it," Yako said. "But I…I got angry and left."

Haruka nodded, remaining silent as she seemed to analyze something. When she seemed to reach some sort of conclusion, she smiled. "It seems to me, this boy isn't used to kissing, even among close relations. It's probably completely unfamiliar to him, though I'm not sure how…"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you said he asked you to explain it, because he didn't know why people kiss, right?" Yako nodded to her mother's inquiry. "If he's never seen people doing it before, and needed someone to give an explanation, it's not likely he would know what it would mean to a girl to have her first kiss stolen. I wonder…if that was _his_ first kiss, too."

Yako blinked, not really sure what to say about this. "But… That's…"

"I seriously wonder where this kid comes from that he never saw someone kissing…"

When dinner was finished, Yako found herself sitting on her bed, deeply considering what her mother had said. Neuro's first kiss? Was it possible? The demon was always so suave and sophisticated, she had never really thought about it before.

Now that she actually stopped to mull over it, she reminded herself that Neuro's real form was a bizarre parody of a bird; he didn't actually have any lips. He had told her about plenty of wacky things in Hell, and she could remember that weird 'Dating Game' he had set up in the office that one time. She supposed any gentle shows of affection—especially kissing—were way out there in left field to him.

"Wow." She felt a little bad about her outburst, but not bad enough to quench her rage completely. Even if he didn't know anything about it, a maiden's lips were not for stealing, and she would not forgive him. Besides, he wouldn't bother asking for her forgiveness. "God, I hate him."

The sudden ringing of Yako's cell phone caught her attention and she stretched across the bed to grab her school bag off the floor and pull out her phone.

"Hello?"

"_Yo, Yako!"_ Kanae was at the other end. _ "What's up? I've been ringing you for hours!"_

"You have? I didn't—" Yako stopped. She didn't bring her school bag home with her today. She wouldn't have heard her cell ringing. But she heard it this time, because her bag was suddenly at home. In her room.

Tilting her head back, the teenager met the green gaze of the grinning demon plastered to her ceiling.

"Kanae, can I call you back? I'm…caught up in the middle of something right now…"

Her friend gave an exasperated sigh. _"Alright, but be sure to get back to me!"_

"I will. Bye."

Neuro dropped down from the ceiling as Yako hung up. "A pleasant evening, isn't it, wood louse?"

"Not particularly," Yako answered truthfully.

"Oh? Is it stress?" The demon inquired in fake sweetness. "I thought you might be worried without your school books. If I recall, you have a test in Math tomorrow."

'_Yeah. Okay, he did something.'_ Reluctantly, Yako drew the book out and opened it. Every page was littered with scribbles of various monsters as well as obscene words in more than one language. What's more, every Math problem and solution had somehow been scrambled about the page; anything she was actually able to read made absolutely no sense.

"I released _**'Evil Book Worm'**_ into your bag," Neuro smiled brightly as he sat on the open sill of the Yako's bedroom window. "Sadly, it didn't seem to take to Mathematics and just kept spitting it back out on to the page."

"Dazzling, Neuro," Yako sighed as she returned the ruined book to her bag. She was sure the rest of her books were in similar condition, but didn't feel like dealing with it.

"On to more important matters, I caught the air of a Puzzle," Neuro's black bangs twitched in emphasis to his words. "But it shouldn't be ready until tomorrow afternoon. You'll have to cut lunch and afternoon classes for us to make it in time."

"But tomorrow they're serving—" Yako cut herself off as the demon gave her 'the look.'

There was no particular way to describe this expression—it was like a smile, but was so much stranger—in spite of the millions of times Yako had seen it upon Neuro's face. But 'the look' was always a clear sign that she would not be allowed any room to argue or object—she either did as he directed her or be punished.

"Geez!" She turned away, exasperated, and thus declared him the winner of their small dispute. "With that kind of mind-set, it's no wonder you've never been kissed," she muttered.

"About that, I still don't get what all the fuss is about," Neuro said, either not noticing Yako's twitch or simply ignoring it. "Everywhere, humans are always doing it. But there wasn't anything special about it when I kissed you. Maybe it's you. I bet—"

Neuro saw the alarm clock coming and managed to catch it before it impacted with his head. But he was mildly surprised by the various books, clothes and even the desk chair that came flying at him. Hopping out the window to avoid further projectiles, the demon landed gracefully on the ground below—right beside several blocks that were originally supposed to be a cake—and looked back up at the window in time to dodge a magazine.

"You…you…YOU THUG! SCUM OF THE EARTH! ENEMY OF ALL WOMEN!" Yako screamed out her window, attracting some attention from the neighbors who looked out to see what the fuss was about. "There is no small thing wrong with you, do you hear me?! I hope you die of Cholera, you sleaze!"

And with that, she slammed her window shut and closed the curtains.

Neuro was willing to admit he was vaguely surprised. He could terrify, confuse, exasperate and generally upset Yako, but this was the first time he had seen her display such raw fury. And again, it had been about the whole 'kissing' thing.

Still holding her alarm clock, Neuro allowed himself a smile. "I will have to cleverly modify the alarm to bite her rather than emit an irritating shrill each morning."

"Oh, it's you, Neuro-kun!"

Quickly pulling up his more human expression, Neuro turned to face the widow on his right and met the smiling face of Yako's mother. He had landed just outside the woman's studio. "Good evening, Madam."

"A little late to be paying a visit, don't you think?" Haruka smiled, leaning against the window frame.

"Oh, I had to discuss something with Sensei," he said, casting a rueful glance up toward Yako's window. "But she seems to be in a poor mood tonight."

Haruka's smiled broadened as she cocked one eyebrow. "Well, she'll probably be a little upset for a while. After you stole her first kiss and all."

Neuro blinked and the woman chuckled at his expression.

"I thought it might be you, but I wasn't completely sure until you showed up," Haruka went on. "Anyway, I wouldn't worry too much. She'll cool off her melon and things will settle down again."

"I take it this is normal for a…'first kiss'?" Neuro asked, trying to look contrite. "I'm…a little unaccustomed to things like this."

"Don't let it get you down," Haruka waved her hand. "She's no more used to it than you, I'm sure. And if you try hard enough, I'm sure she won't mind kissing you again." She reached out and patted his shoulder with a bright smile. "But if you force her into any situation that compromises her chastity without her consent, I'll break your legs."

Still bearing a sunny expression, Haruka bid Neuro a good night and closed the window and the curtains.

Assaulted by his servant and then threatened by her mother. Ridiculous as both situations had been, it had been an interesting turn of events, to say the least. And all because of a small 'kiss.'

Bewildered but also strangely amused, Neuro headed back to the office—still carrying Yako's alarm clock—and decided that he just might get to like this whole 'kissing' thing if it caused this much fun.


	2. Smile - Reaction

_Good Gaia! I haven't updated in two years! Please forgive me, everyone!_

**02 -**

**Smile [Reaction]**

Neuro could feel his human's eyes on him again.

Indeed, she had been glaring at him a lot lately, usually bearing a new bite mark somewhere from her alarm clock to warrant this scathing look. But today, she was simply looking at him. Whether he was reading or solving one of the smaller puzzles Yako had bought to keep around the office, she watched him with some peculiar interest.

"Is something about my face distracting you, fish-bait?" The demon inquired amiably. He didn't need her brain cells burning out from too much thinking. "There are enough case files for you to look at, and I'm certain that will be much more productive."

"You smile a lot."

Neuro blinked at this blunt statement, meeting his servant's gaze of tarnished gold. "Yes. What of it?"

Yako sighed, scratching at an itch from a bite on her neck. "I was just wondering if all demons smile as much as you do..."

At this, the demon leaned back in his chair, staring up at the ceiling thoughtfully. "No, not many demons do," he replied. "To be honest, it's more of a habit than anything."

"A habit?"

"Yes!" Neuro grinned. "You see, my father rarely smiled. So I made something of a habit of smiling wherever and whenever. People seemed to like it until I reached a certain age. Then they just seemed to start dreading it…"

It took the young woman a moment to process what her demon had said. But when she did, only one thing stuck with her.

"Father? _You_…have a _**Father**_?"

"Don't be silly! Everyone has a father; you can't expect the mother to do it on her own." Neuro smiled pleasantly, and Yako could almost see the sparkles glittering around him as he did so.

The very thought that someone had actually spawned a creature like Neuro was disturbing. Especially if she considered the possibility the man could be worse than her resident demon.

"So…you're dad didn't smile much, huh…?" She felt safer sticking to the first topic.

"Almost never," Neuro sighed. "My mother often said it was because he didn't know how to do it right. So I was determined to outdo him and mastered smiling like my mother taught me. Before I knew it, I was smiling all the time."

Yako blinked. "Was your mother a demon?"

"No."

The girl was surprised and confused by his blunt answer. She couldn't help asking, "Then…what was she?"

Neuro smiled, oddly gentle and his face seemed to glow with his reply. "A Goddess."

Yako gaped. A Goddess? Did things like that exist? Well, she had a demon lounging a few feet from her, so she shouldn't dismiss the possibility. Heck, the Loch Ness Monster and the Abominable Snow Man could exist out there. But a Goddess and Demon? What sort of celestial being had a child with hell spawn? If Neuro's father was anything like he was, how could a spark even be ignited?

The young woman stopped when she saw Neuro giving her 'the look' again. And then she realized why and glared. "Are you making fun of me?"

"I could be…" The demon mused, opening a newspaper. "What do you think?"

Yako sighed, deciding not answer him. If she said he was wrong, he might retaliate. Mostly, she just wasn't sure.

"But…your mother smiled a lot, then?"

"About as much as you…" He stopped, lowering his paper. "She missed where she came from often. It became impossible for her to leave after she married my father, and her birthplace was far different from the landscapes of Hell. Not many demons looked like her, it sometimes made her uncomfortable. Because I was capable of changing my appearance, it was easier to learn how to smile."

He sighed, folding his newspaper back up. "She was happy about that. But at times, she only really smiled when she was with my father."

Staring at him, Yako wondered if she was thinking about it too much. It almost sounded like Neuro was…jealous of his father? For his mother's attention, or maybe her affection?

But rather than voicing her thoughts, Yako picked a case file out of the box on the table to immerse herself in. She paged through it for a bit before suddenly finding herself smiling. "Because she was unhappy, you smiled for your Mother to make her feel better. That's a nice way to show that you loved her."

"Personally, because you're smiling all the time, I can only tell when you feel like torturing someone or when you're really pissed off. The nicest smile I've ever seen you have was when you—"

Before she knew what was happening, Neuro was suddenly right behind her, grinding his fists into her skull as he grinned manically. "As I have said, put what little thought process you have into something more productive, louse."

He leaned down too look at the file she was holding, but hardly in the mood to humor him, Yako drew it away. In response, Neuro pulled her hair to draw her back. And she in turn grabbed his hand to get him to let go, while at the same time struggling to keep the papers away from him.

Neuro was amused at her futile efforts and allowed her to struggle a bit more before leaning closer. "I can tell it's a good one, Yako, just let me—"

"No! You let go firs—"

As Yako turned, she hadn't thought about just how close the demon was. Therefore, she hadn't stopped to think on how to avoid meeting Neuro's open mouth with her own.

And thus, they kissed for the second time.

Neuro had not felt anything in particular from the kiss he had stolen from Yako before. But this time, he felt an irregular tingle dance across his scalp. It was vaguely painful, while at the same time distinctly pleasant. He drew back after about five seconds, and taking advantage of Yako's stupor to snatch the file from her lax grip.

Yako sat stupefied. How could she let it happen again? She managed to take some vague comfort in the stunned look on Neuro's face. She had only seen that look a handful of times, and it always made her feel good, like it was actually possible to best the demon. At the moment, she just glad her lips hadn't been burned at all by Neuro's saliva.

So focused on the apparent survival of her mouth, Yako didn't see Neuro's inquisitive smile from his desk.

The rest of the afternoon passed by leisurely into evening, and while there were a few puzzles that Neuro took interest in, there was no news on the New Bloodline. The next day would hopefully produce something better, but at that point, Yako was ready to go home.

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow, Akane-chan," she smiled to the braid as she hefted up her bookbag and headed for the door.

Naturally, as Neuro had been sitting a Troy the entire time, Yako hadn't expected the demon to swing down from the ceiling and catch her by the head. It had happened enough times; she was thoroughly ashamed of herself for not seeing it coming.

However, it was when Neuro lifted her just a foot off the ground when he stunned her with her third kiss right on the mouth. Stunned for only a moment, she quickly began to struggle. Flailing her arms, kicking her legs, and even hitting Neuro had little effect since he was upside-down and a demon. But after about twenty seconds of her being suspended off the floor and having him swallow all her vocal protests, the brain-eater dropped her.

Second after hitting the floor, Yako scurried away until she felt Troy at her back and covered her mouth, certain she was blushing all the way down to her toes. "What the hell was that?"

Neuro stood in place on the ceiling, touching his own lips curiously. "How odd…There was nothing the first time, and nothing now either. But the connection earlier most certainly initiated some sort of reaction."

Neuro looked honestly baffled, a rare expression on the demon's features.

"The first and third were initiated by me, and yet there was nothing either time," the demon went on bemusedly. "The second was by accident…but you were the one who moved at that time. It must be you. You hold some factor in this whole 'kissing' business."

'_Of course it takes two people to kiss, you moron!'_ Yako did not uncover her mouth to shout at the demon, simply deciding that in spite of all things going on around them, Neuro grew bored far too easily.

Without another thought, Neuro approach the girl, towering over her with a jack-o-lantern grin. "Yako. Kiss me."

The human girl immediately paled.

He wanted her to do _**what**_?

Holding her hands clamped tightly over her mouth, she determinedly shook her head. She didn't lick his shoes for the sake of her school education; she was most definitely not going to lock lips with him willingly so that he could satisfy some morbid curiosity.

"Come now, Yako, don't be difficult," the demon smiled pleasantly—a sure sign of something wicked coming her way—as he picked her up by the front of her sweater and set her on her feet. "It's a rather simple act, isn't it? Anyone can do it."

Even so, Yako refused to uncover her already violated lips. Instead, she confirmed the exit some ways behind Neuro and move to hurry past him. He caught her around the waist, however, and tossed her on to the nearest sofa.

But refusing to be stopped, Yako got back up and made another mad dash for the door. Again, only to be caught and slammed against the wall, right beside the exit.

The moment she was again face-to-face with the demon, she covered her mouth again.

"Is it such a terrible thing, wood louse?" Neuro asked, closing the distance between them. "If it really is so awful, why do people do it so often?"

Yako refused to try and answer him.

"Just one kiss, right here…" Neuro tapped his mouth, "…and that's all. It's not that hard. And then I'll let you go."

Yako glared as harshly as she could, though she doubted that she could faze the hell-spawn in the slightest by doing so. Glancing at the door, only inches away, she also knew that she would never make it through. Where Neuro had simply wanted to alleviate some boredom and win her everlasting servitude when he demanded she lick his shoes, he was adamant about his wanting to know something about kissing. This was something he _had_ to know.

But…to _kiss_ Neuro? Willingly?

To be fair, he was holding her hostage until she complied with his demands, so it wasn't really her will that mattered in this. But still!

After battling with herself for about two minutes, Yako dropped her hands with a heavy sigh. Once again, it seemed she had no choice when it came to the Brain Eater, Neuro.

"Lean down… You're too tall for me to reach you…"

Not wanting to see his smile of victory, Yako closed her eyes as she took a deep breath. When she looked at him, he had leaned down as she asked and waited with an almost eager smile. She really wanted to shoot herself.

Taking another breath, she put her hands on his shoulders as she got on her toes—because he was still too tall—and landed a kiss right on the demon's mouth. At the contact, she immediately shut her eyes and waited until Neuro either pushed her away or threw her over his shoulder.

Surprisingly, he did neither. Instead, he turned her head just slightly so that he could open his mouth against hers.

He made no move to slip his tongue into her mouth, but just the feeling of his hot breath passing her lips made Yako shiver. Goosebumps travelled across her skin like a wave on the ocean, causing a tremble throughout her limbs as her hair stood on end.

Similarly, Neuro felt that tingle on his scalp go all the way out to the ends of his hair. He also felt a small spark of energy dance from one of his batteries to another, and oddly pleased with the sensation, he deepened the kiss. He swallowed his human's gasp at the action, and just as pleased with her reaction, ever so slightly, he reached out and licked her bottom lip.

This time, Yako pulled back, breaking their lip lock. She leaned back against the wall, heaving in the cool air of the office as she tried to get a handle on herself. She had never kissed a boy before Neuro, so she couldn't say if it was good or bad. Even as she tried to tell herself she didn't like kissing the demon in the slightest.

"If-If-If that's…all you wanted…I'm going home!" She quickly picked up her bag, opened the door and hurried away down the hall. She hit the button on the elevator, but not feeling capable of holding still for that long, she headed for the stairs.

During her poor excuse at saying the last word, as well as her exit, Yako had not once looked at Neuro. Naturally, not wanting to see her defeat at his victory, she didn't see his smile at the reaction he had felt at his fourth kiss.

Honestly, he wondered if the smile he had the rest of the evening rivaled even those honest smiles he had given his Mother.


	3. Contact - Intimacy

_Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! Or as my sister and I like to call it: __**'Singles Awareness Day'**__. Eat chocolate._

_Thank you all for your reviews on __**Chapter 02**__, I will try not to leave this hanging again._

**03 -**

**Contact [Intimacy]**

After catching a live grenade, being shot at by the police, being shoved into an air vent, defusing a bomb, watching as a member of the New Bloodline become Neuro's toy, and then finally watching as she and her last servant destroyed themselves, Yako could honestly say her day had been a hectic one.

And so, at the end of such a day, the young woman was glad just to find herself at home, in a nice hot bath.

The downside that naturally came with every relief was that Neuro had decided to follow her home. He was currently sitting about two feet away, rinsing soap from his hair. He was also completely naked, save for his gloves and the towel he had been considerate enough to tie around his waist.

Thank God her mother wasn't home. Who knows what she would say to _this_!

"Human bath oils smell strange. And this water is still too cold," the demon complained as he swept his hair back. Yako would have thought the way his black bangs went behind his ears and against his lighter blond-green locks actually looked nice, had he not been filling the entire room with steam from the showerhead. He hadn't bothered to turn the cold water on at all, instead opting to turn on the hot water as high as it could go in his fruitless effort to warm himself.

While her bath was nice, she was starting to sweat and worried that she might have to shower again with how hot the room was getting. Not to mention, their water bill was going to be insane.

"Whatever. Just don't flood the house," Yako sighed as she secured her towel and left the bath.

"Leaving already, louse?" Neuro grinned, offering her the shower. "Why don't you test this? It still feels too cold for me."

Doubtless, the current temperature of the shower would burn her skin right off.

"No, thank you," she answered steadily. "Don't forget to turn the water off, and _please_, don't leave anything in the tub that will scare my Mom to death."

"What about half to death?"

Yako didn't bother stopping to answer him.

**~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~**

By the time Neuro had finished his bath, Yako had already eaten dinner. Once again dressed in his blue pants and white vest, he found her sitting on her bed, contentedly munching on a small cup of ice cream.

She didn't bother feeling embarrassed about the demon coming in with her dirty laundry sitting in the corner, much less being seen in her short pajama bottoms and tank top. He had always made a point in letting her know he did not find her attractive in the least.

"Feeling better?" She asked around her spoon.

"Slightly more refreshed, perhaps," the demon replied, dropping his towel on her head. "But not nearly as much I'd wish to be. Human plumbing leaves much to be desired. In Hell, there is only one faucet designed to give cold water. Every other person only needs hot water for bathing."

"Who owns the one with cold water?" Yako asked, curious as she got out from under Neuro's hot towel.

"My Mother," Neuro beamed. Once again, his human could swear she saw sparkles.

"Right. The Goddess…" She still wasn't sure if she really believed him on that. "For the sake of asking, exactly how did your Father, a Demon, marry a Goddess, exactly?"

Neuro plopped down on the bed beside her, smiling like a happy little boy with a present.

"The way I heard it, my Father has never really had a problem with visiting other worlds, and he happened to be on such a trip at the time," the Demon said. "A bright world, full of endless noise, that's what he always said. It was unpleasant to my Father in every possible way and he inevitably lost his temper. When they met, he had committed some 'act of evil' that is often associated with Demons, right in front of her. But she waltzed right up to him and demanded that he apologize and make amends for his crime. Naturally, my Father refused."

'_As pleasant a fellow as ever…'_ Yako thought to herself. "So? What did she do?"

Neuro's smile practically glowed with delight. "She hit him."

Yako stared, wide-eyed. She couldn't have heard him right. "What…?"

"She hit him," the demon repeated, as elated as before. "Stormed right up to him and 'whammo!' Right in the face."

"That's grit…!" The human sighed. "And then what? Was your father angry?"

"Furious." Neuro beamed

"And what did he do?" She was almost afraid to know.

His smile didn't budge as he answered her, "He put the moves on her."

Katsuragi Yako's mouth fell open and she paled.

"Yes. He courted her, night and day, asking that she marry him," Neuro laughed. "Of course, my Mother refused him each and every time. But as the days wore on, Father lost patience and dragged her back to Hell with him."

"He kidnapped her?"

"He 'abducted' her. She was in no way a 'kid', Yako," the Demon corrected mildly. "He figured that once he had her where he wanted her, she'd cave and they would start the life of a married couple. But, oh! Did she put him through the wringer! She refused every gift, every little thing he had to offer. She even refused to eat or drink." Neuro laughed. "I really wish I could have seen him pleading with her at every moment. What a sight that must have been!"

Yako was hardly amused. Folding her arms across her middle, she glared at the demon sitting across the bed. "But I guess she gave in eventually, huh?"

"Naturally!" Neuro replied cheerfully. "Otherwise, I doubt I would be here now."

"That's horrible!" She exclaimed. "Of all the— That's just— I can't believe he— That's the lowest of the low! Kidnapping some poor, helpless girl! Isolating her and whittling away at her until she gives him what he wants! And even then, she couldn't go back home."

"Appalling, isn't it?" Neuro sighed.

"You're just as bad as he is!" Yako shouted. She quickly realized just who she had lashed at, but rather that feeling regretful and apologetic, she just sat there and fumed. Waiting for whatever punishment the Demon chose to deal out.

Surprisingly, Neuro simply chuckled at his human's outburst. "Oh, that I know. I have to be worse than him in some cases. But you should know, my Mother wasn't weak. She never surrendered. They improved on one another a great, long before they had me."

He saw that his words had barely any effect on the girl as she continued glaring at the wall to her left, perhaps making some attempt to burn a hole through the plaster with her fury. So, in an effort to retrieve her attention, Neuro leaned over and planted a warm, wet kiss right on her temple.

While this certainly snagged her attention, it did nothing to improve her attitude.

"Will you stop that? It isn't funny!" She snapped, her face flushing as she used her sleeve to wipe away his kiss. Once again, she was thankful that the demon's acidic saliva had not done any damage.

Since the incident in the office, Neuro had taken every opportunity to pop out and deliver a peck to his unsuspecting human. Each time, she became more and more emotional about it. This time, like many others, she had not failed to react appropriately.

"I find it extremely entertaining!" Neuro replied evenly. "Your reactions are always so volatile, and I really love that 'zing!' that I get from kissing you."

Yako felt more heat flood her face, but hastily looked away. "I don't like it at all. Not one bit."

Surprisingly, the Brain-Eater actually stopped to consider this. "Why not? Everyone does it, and they all seem to enjoy it."

"Well, I _don't_!" The human girl said. "I'm not some…! If you want to enjoy kissing, do it with someone else! Leave me out of it!"

As Neuro thought about it, it might make sense to experiment kissing elsewhere. That very day, Genuine had certainly offered such a service, and more besides. But almost immediately, the Demon felt disgusted with the thought of touching some other human in such a way. Like most things, it had to be Yako or it was no fun at all.

But certainly, Yako should take some enjoyment from the act of kissing. She just had to be doing in wrong.

"Alright, then!" Neuro sat up, adjusting himself to sit cross-legged before the girl. He smiled when she visibly flinched and scooted away. "Obviously, you are improperly educated on such matters."

'_This coming from the Hell Spawn that needed __**me**__ to explain kissing in the first place…!'_

"I, however, have done research and know the proper way to go about kissing," the demon explained. "It is only a simple matter of finding out one's preferences and engaging in them. So…"

Neuro leaned in close, leaving minimal space between him and his human.

"…How do you like to kiss?"

Yako face turned white. "EXCUSE ME?"

"It's not that complicated a question, louse," Neuro admonished. "How do you like to kiss? Do you like it slow, or fast? Do you like to kiss, or do you prefer to be kissed? Man or woman?"

"Oh, shut up! I am _not_ about to get into this conversation with you!" Yako exclaimed, moving to get up and leave the room. If there was any mercy for her from some higher power, the demon would get bored and go back to the office soon.

However, like most matters related to one Nougami Neuro, Yako was not granted any mercy. Instead, he caught her by the wrist and pulled her back. And as if that wasn't enough, she ended up landing right in his lap.

"Now don't be difficult, Yako," the demon smiled sweetly. "Here, I'll start. Do you like it fast…?" He delivered a quick peck to her lips.

"_**Neuro**_—"

"Or slow…?"

And the demon seized her lips, catching her with her mouth open and swallowed her words.

Unable to voice her protests to such an indignity, Yako resorted to beating against her captor's shoulders, pulling at his sorry excuse for a shirt and trying to loosen his hold around her waist. But it was no use, with his ridiculous demon strength in play, she wasn't going anywhere. Accepting the futility of her efforts, Yako closed her eyes, gripping Neuro's shoulders tightly as she waited for him to stop.

It might have been easier to just sit there, had her body temperature not risen exponentially. The heat made her skin oddly sensitive, and the light brush of Neuro's hair and the cool metal of his hair beads against her face were becoming unbearable. She felt itchy, though not really in the normal sense. It wasn't like a bug bite or a small prickle from anything she knew; only that she desperately wanted to relieve it. Something she didn't want to think about was urging her let go and scratch that itch.

But she wouldn't give in. Whatever it was, it was too frightening to just surrender.

Finally, after what felt light thirty minutes—though it was in fact only thirty seconds—the demon let her breathe. Gasping in cool air, Yako leaned her head against Neuro's should as she struggled to collect her cracked composure and armor up against the demon's next ridicule or insult.

"I think you like slow better," Neuro's voice was hot against her ear, and she didn't have to look at him to know that his smile was as broad as ever.

Yako couldn't hope to hide her blush or hold back her tears of embarrassment. "You're awful…"

"Do you want to try again, just to be sure?" The hell-spawn offered happily.

At his happy tone, Yako weakly hit the shoulder she wasn't hiding against. "You're evil. You've got absolutely no sense of respect or decency for women."

"I have no respect for you at all, bread-crust!" Neuro declared cheerfully. "And I don't care about other women; I have you."

Yako vaguely wondered if she could take that last part as something akin to a compliment, but decided not to think about it too hard. She was still upset, but didn't think that she could look her 'employer' in the eye just yet.

"Still, don't even Demons have some sense of modesty?" She demanded. "Sure, you don't respect personal boundaries at all, but touching like this for humans isn't…" Yako trailed off with a sigh, certain that Neuro wasn't really listening to her. He probably couldn't understand that she didn't go around flippantly kissing people. The act may have been fun to him, but to her it was a much more intimate thing she didn't want to do with just anybody. It was bad enough she often ended up doing it with him. "Just let go. I don't want to do it again."

"No fun at all," Neuro sighed dramatically. But out of fairness for his servant, he released her and turned away. Noticing the TV in the corner, he took her remote and went about scanning the news channels for his next meal.

Sighing, feeling relieved as well as dejected, Yako pulled up her pillow and a book to take her thoughts elsewhere. Certainly, Neuro had completely set what just happened aside as he always did. Only a handful of things ever affected the demon, but he certainly never kept them in mind longer than he deemed necessary.

'_Demons don't kiss. Their Dating Games involve stabbing each other. And Neuro's father put the moves on the first woman to ever hit him. Maybe they really don't have any sense of love or intimacy…'_ Yako thought idly.

Suddenly, something drew her eyes to the back of her demon's head. His hair, which had always been so perfect and straight, was actually tangled. Only barely, but it was certainly irked her. For being an absolute devil child, Yako could always say that Neuro was astonishingly symmetrical in his appearance. It hit something in her brain that made the slight disarray unpleasant to see.

So without bothering to point it out—Neuro would likely question how she could dare to think anything was wrong with him—Yako took her hairbrush from her bedside table. She scooted across the bed to where the demon sat. She reached out and carefully touched the green-blond hair—

And the next thing Yako knew, 'Brain-Eater' Neuro jumped and quite literally hit the ceiling. The hard sound of his body hitting the plaster, arms out, was quite the shock and made her scream. But the completely rare expression of what could only be called embarrassment and something that looked disturbingly like a blush on the demon's face made her entire brain freeze in absolute astonishment.

"Just…_what_ do you think you are _**doing**_?" Neuro snapped. He sounded alarmed. Dare she say…embarrassed?

An ungodly disaster was going to hit the world. The next ice age. Volcanoes erupting all across the world. Continents flipping over. Something unimaginable.

Yako tried to surmount the ice that had covered her cerebellum to answer him. "I…was going to brush your hair…" She managed. "It was…tangled…"

"And just where do you get the gall to do that?" The demon tried to sound harsh, but even he knew his self-composure had slipped at his human's unthinkable attempt at touching him in such a way. Casting his gaze to the side, crossing his arms authoritatively across his chest, Yako somehow got the picture of a middle-school boy trying to not look embarrassed about being caught with his pants down or something.

Yako was sure her heart was going to stop. "What's the big deal…?"

"_**What**_—" Neuro caught himself, taking a deep breath before trying to answer her. He still didn't meet his human's gaze. "That is a very personal, very _private_ activity, Yako. It is not something you should do off-handedly."

"You've grabbed my head before," Yako pointed out. "And you've done it in public. Where was the 'personal and private activity,' then?"

Neuro actually grimaced.

Yako wasn't sure how much of the demon's new expressions she could take. She had always thought she would feel vindicated or satisfied if she could just put a chink in Neuro's armor, if she could get back at him, if she could hit him with a cake right in the face. But somehow, seeing the demon act so awkward was beyond comprehension.

"I _have_ grabbed your head…" he admitted, "…but I have _never_ attempted to brush your hair."

"_**Brushing hair**_…?" She gaped. "Of all the things you've ever done to me, brushing hair is so offensive to you?"

The demon's pale skin had mostly recovered, but once again, Yako really saw a slight flush to his face. "It is not…offensive, per se…" Neuro replied. "It is a private affair. Only lovers or married couples brush each other's hair."

Now Yako felt mortified. By attempting to brush Neuro's hair, had she unintentionally put the moves on him? Was brushing each other's hair like a proposal or enticement for something more intimate? Like sex, even?

"Oh my God…!" Yako face-palmed. "You go around kissing me and don't have a problem with it. And now, because I tried to brush your hair, I've thrown myself at you? What the Hell?"

Neuro sighed from his place on the ceiling. "Humans are almost always seen kissing in the streets, Yako. No Demon would be so vulgar as to brush another's hair in public."

"It doesn't mean that _some_ of us don't find kissing a personal thing, Neuro!" Yako snapped.

Human and Demon stared at each other, both somewhat uncomfortable, both somewhat embarrassed.

But after a long silence, Neuro landed back on the bed, simultaneously bouncing Yako into the air, and turned his back to her.

"Very well, wood louse," he sighed severely. "I cannot allow you to think that your Master is unfair—"

'_You __**are**__ unfair, you jackass!'_

"—so I shall permit you." Neuro carefully removed the Demon Batteries from his hair. And so he sat, waiting for his human to make her move. "But if you aggravate me or do a poor job, I will dislocate all the bones in your right hand."

Yako hesitated. On one hand, Neuro was offering to be fair and allow her to make him as uncomfortable as he had been making her with his random kisses. But on the other hand, she was also making her way into crazy territory of demon intimacy. But not about to have him get upset about making him wait, she soon righted herself and got back on the bed, brush in hand.

And cautiously holding his green-blond hair in her left hand, she started brushing his hair with her right.

Yako had always seen Neuro's black hair move whenever he sensed a Puzzle. But as she carefully brushed through his hair, she could feel the individual strands move through and twine around her fingers with each brush stroke. Actually, it was similar to when she did Akane's hair. But a lot creepier, because it was Neuro.

But even if she tried to ignore the fact his hair moved, Yako couldn't help but be completely aware of each shudder that passed through his lean body, and every breath that caught as she worked. It was almost like his hair was made up of hyper-sensitive nerves to initiate such a reaction. But whatever it really was, it was clear to her that he was experiencing some sort of sexual excitement, even from just her fingers gliding through his hair.

That must be why only Demon lovers took care of each other's hair.

As Yako continued to brush through the demon's living locks, careful not to catch any snags or do anything that might agitate him, she found herself wondering what sort of face Neuro was making. She had seen his ever-constant smile; she had seen him drool over himself with glee at finding a Puzzle; she had seen his oddly pleasant expression while sleeping; in his fury and rage, she had seen his human mask crack and reveal the monster beneath; she also seen him in extreme pain, to the point he couldn't even move. But what did his face look like amidst the throes of passion and ecstasy?

Did his mask slip, like when he was angry? Or did his expression freeze in place while literally breaking, like when he was completely exhausted? Maybe she couldn't even imagine it.

Suddenly realizing the dark path her thoughts were taking her, Yako shook the inappropriate curiosity away. Seconds later, she finished brushing and sat back. "I'm finished…"

Neuro immediately fell backwards. Laying flat on the bed in a boneless heap, his chest heaved up and down as he fought to catch his breath, he moved his arm draped across his eyes. Yako could also see his hair twitch slightly against her covers as the demon gradually regained his composure.

It wasn't until his breathing had evened out and he moved his arm to look at her that Yako finally spoke, saying, "I'll remember. I won't do it again."

Rather than answering her statement, the Demon suddenly caught her shoulders and pinned his human down, and without a word claimed her mouth in a deep, hot kiss. But unlike his other kisses, Neuro had slipped his tongue all the way inside Yako's mouth. The feeling of his hot tongue moving, touching everywhere inside her mouth was not as disgusting as she had always thought it would be. On the contrary, the feeling made her hair stand on end like a shot of electricity had cut through her, making her feel hotter and more agitated than ever before.

Restless with lying beneath the demon as he ravaged her mouth, not really knowing what she was doing, her hands moved up Neuro's shoulders. Unable to think to stop herself, Yako's hands twined into the demon's hair.

The reaction was instantaneous. Neuro went stiff for a full ten seconds before he moved to wrap his arms all around the human girl to hold her tight against his frame as his kiss actually deepened. Yako felt not only her tongue rubbed against and twined around, but the back of her palate, the root of her tongue, the back of her throat, Neuro reached every place in her mouth and touched it.

They lay there, barely moving, wrapped around each other so tightly it was almost impossible to tell where one ended and the other began.

But at long last, the need to breathe forced Yako away from the demon's kiss and she turned on her side as she gasped in lungful after lungful of cool oxygen and she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. But with that slight movement came the sudden awareness of a distinct dampness to her underwear. And being forced to acknowledge exactly what that dampness was made Yako's heart stop in abject terror.

She hadn't… She couldn't have… He shouldn't…

"That is what is universally called the French Kiss," Neuro said against her throat, his breath hot and his scent strong and drifting all around her. "I think I like this way better."

Panicked, confused and distraught, Yako quickly grabbed her pillow and covered her entire head. It wasn't so much to hide her burning blush as it was to prevent Neuro from attempting to kiss her again.

"Yako?" The Demon pushed himself up on his elbows at his human's sudden retreat. Of course, the flimsy cushion was hardly a defense, but still feeling that pleasant tingle from the ordeal, he decided to carefully pry it away. Surprisingly, Yako held it down tighter against her face.

"Are you attempting suicide, louse?" He asked, amused at her. "The minute that you pass out, your grip will relax, thereby releasing the pillow and you'll automatically start breathing again."

The human girl didn't answer.

Tugging at it again, he was again met with resistance. "Yako, don't be difficult."

"Don't…" Yako finally mumbled from beneath her pillow. "Please, don't…"

"Was it so unpleasant?" Neuro asked, feeling somewhat thwarted. It had been nice enough from his standpoint.

"It's not that… It's just… I don't want…" She curled up into a tight ball, still holding the pillow tight to her face. "Please, go away…"

Neuro could have refused. It's not as if he hadn't bullied her before, but something about her refusal struck something unpleasant in him. And so, without a word, the Demon stood up and left the room through the door for once.

Yako lay in bed, impossibly bewildered and mortified by the undeniable truth that the Demon Nougami Neuro had aroused her with the deepest, most invasive kiss of her life.

Neuro stood out in the hall, undeniably impressed by the definitive fact that he had actually aroused him for the very first time in his life by one Katsuragi Yako brushing his hair.

But neither could take pleasure in how the entire ordeal had ended.

_**TAG! You're it!**_

_I challenge each and every one to read this chapter to do something to celebrate NeuYako's birthday __**3/9/2011**__. Write a one-shot, draw a picture, make an AMV, whatever makes your day. Don't stress it, just have fun._

___**Ready? GO!**_


	4. Understand - Comprehend

_Hello, peeps!_

_THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PATIENCE!_

_Sorry it's been __**so**__ long! No one responded to my __**3/9 NeuYako Challenge**__, so I felt a little down. And whenever I tried to write for __**AoA**__, I ended up re-writing, because I was unhappy with it._

_But! I finally managed to get Chapter 04 done!_

_I hope you like it! PLEASE REVIEW!_

**04 -**

**Understand [Comprehend]**

Neuro threw a book out the window. Fortunately for the people on the street below, the window had been open at the time, so no one had to avoid any broken glass. But whosoever the book happened to land on…

The demon didn't bother to wonder about it.

But his irritation did not abate in the slightest. If anything, it only got worse.

He wanted to throw something at _someone_. He wanted to watch a stapler hit someone in the face and leave a sinister mark on their skin that would gradually settle into place and take even longer to fade away. He wanted to string someone up like a punching bag and beat on them until he felt better.

He wanted that gorram noise to stop.

He could call Godai to come by the office. The human had recovered from the injuries that had left him hospitalized. He could easily find any remaining bruises and expand on them. But the thought didn't offer him any enjoyment.

Neuro didn't want to hit Godai. He wanted to hit someone else. Someone who he knew could take the beating. Someone who he had trained to be durable.

Someone who was no longer here.

From his place on the ceiling, as if to mock him, Neuro saw a small portion of metal lying on the floor. Printed in simple black text, the name of this infuriating human was easily legible.

**KATSURAGI YAKO**

Dropping down from the ceiling, he stepped on the sign. Then he stomped on it, denting the metal and scraping some of the name off. But he could still see it, so he then set it on fire. He watched as the Hell flames ate at the flimsy, human world metal, seeing little pieces break off and the edges turn black.

And still, he found no pleasure in it.

The noise still rang in his ears.

He had willingly let her leave. He had opened the door with his own hand. He shouldn't have had to listen to that noise anymore. As soon as she was out of sight, he shouldn't have spared her another thought. That noise should have faded away.

It was infuriating to find that simple task strangely impossible.

Snapping his fingers, the fire winked out as if it had never even been there, leaving only the abused name plate lying on the floor as it had been since he had cut it from the door.

Neuro understood that his…that the human girl had been disturbed. Two people she considered close friends dying right in front of her. Certainly, many a human would be thrown off balance because of the loss.

But she was not a below-average human. She should have been able to overcome that loss and continue onward.

The demon was actually willing to admit that his neglect resulted in Sasazuka Eishi's death. But both he and the old man called Honjou had come to terms with things in their own way. Both men had surely been satisfied with their own demise.

But she had not been satisfied. If anything, she had been left completely overthrown.

"_It would have been better if we had never met! Whether it's everyone, or you!_**"**

What a disappointment those words had been. He had been so sure that she was stronger than that.

How unpleasant to discover the girl was so weak. Just looking at her made his stomach twist and grind, like he was struggling to digest a large rock. He immediately knew that he had to get her out of his sight and with her remove the unpleasant feeling.

He didn't need a slave like that. He didn't need her. He was better off without her and her unpleasant noise.

He would start over. He would find a new slave, build up a new detective and continue on. He had not necessarily chosen that girl for any particular reason. It could have just as easily been her mother, or even their house keeper.

She just so happened to be there when Neuro had broken through to the human world. She happened to be the first living thing he had come in contact with here on the surface. She had been his human. To keep or cast aside as he saw fit.

All he had ever wanted was to eat. To feast on the Puzzles of humankind was the sole reason he had left Hell and broke through to the human realm. He no longer needed the boredom of his birthplace when humans had so much more variety.

That humans were capable of such atrocities was what had first drawn him to the surface. That they were his food source provoked him into fighting for their survival when they could not defend themselves. So long as he obeyed the laws set forth by the Demon Court, he wouldn't have any real trouble.

But Neuro required another who could understand the 'why' of things, because it would make movement in the human world much easier than it would be on his own. Neuro didn't understand human sentiments. He had made this perfectly clear. As had the human girl.

That was why he couldn't simply forget her. It would be difficult to fill the position of Detective with someone less competent than even she was. For the moment, his progress was restricted. That was all.

He didn't like this sensation. He had always enjoyed multi-tasking far beyond the abilities of the other members of the Demon Court. Here, whenever he looked into an investigation or just did some light reading, he didn't use even half of his ability, mostly because he didn't have to. But he still preferred doing something to doing absolutely nothing.

Empty hours were agonizing to his brilliant mind. His thoughts wandered to things he would rather leave untouched. Right now, he almost wondered what he could have done differently to prevent certain things from ending the way they did. This was, of course, a highly distasteful thought, because it was outside his nature as a Demon to doubt. Doubt was a Human factor, because Humans were uncertain creatures that second-guessed themselves, and thereby double-crossed themselves.

Neuro was perfectly happy living without doubt and laughing at the people who had to deal with it.

He preferred to fill his time with solving questions and Puzzles of any kind. He liked knowing how things worked. He liked taking things apart piece by piece and figuring out how to use it. He might even put it back together in a different way if it meant he could use it better than before.

He couldn't withhold his enthusiasm when he took to wandering across Hell, finding something new and picking it apart to uncover out how it worked and to what purpose. It was fun and rarely tested him.

"Trying to find meaning in every little thing takes a lot of time," he remembered his Mother smile. "But taking a brief moment to listen to nothing at all has its merits."

His Mother had always understood his desire to fill the hours of his days, because she also had a lot of time to whittle away. She told him once that it was hard to live in Hell because she could still feel her own world moving without her. Feeling her time continue to pass elsewhere, while it practically stopped where she stood was something Neuro had wondered about. He had experienced this upon coming to Earth, but like his Mother, he had adjusted and had since taken to ignoring the peculiar form of jet-lag.

Now, as he sat bored and apathetic, he couldn't ignore the sensation of Hell moving elsewhere. Nor could he drown out that incessant noise that had been bothering him for the past two days.

It was not something that any Human seemed capable of hearing, as none had made any indication of it. But it had been cutting through his brain like one of his own blades since the exact moment Sasazuka Eishi had been killed. And it had only heightened in pitch when Honjou took his own life.

He had hoped the noise would leave with her when she had run out, but it still cut through his brain unlike anything he had suffered in the past. Although, perhaps it wasn't as harsh as when his Father Summoned him; that pain that rang through his bones to the tips of his horns was hard to measure up to. The Bastard. But this was really close to that.

And it had only become even louder since she had run away.

He just needed to drown it out. He had to think about anything and everything and force it away from his attention. He buried himself in his vast memory to find something highly more pleasing, something exactly opposite from the Noise.

For a while, he contented himself with the reminiscence of eating, filling his empty stomach and abating his endless hunger. And while that was pleasing for a short while, it quickly reminded him of how many hours it had been since he had eaten properly. What's more, his stomach actually hurt. All the same, it was something along the right lines.

But that was quickly replaced by the only other thing that he had found to be more pleasurable than eating.

A very brief exchange in a certain human girl's bedroom.

It had been a simple mistake on her part as a human. There was no way she would understand the severity of her simple actions. Her lack of knowledge about his race and his homeland was something he took daily enjoyment from. But the instant she touched his hair was when he realized just how dangerous her naiveté could be.

He shouldn't have indulged her. But for whatever reason, he had allowed her to see just what it meant to touch a demon's hair.

He had expected the physical stimulation. His body would naturally react the same way it did to hunger, temperature or even pain.

He had not expected the feeling of her fingers through his strands to be so incredible. He had not expected to be so beset by a sensation unlike any he had ever felt before. So much that even after she had finished, he hadn't been ready to stop. So, he had returned the favor she had done for him by embracing her and thoroughly kissing her in a way that was most certainly intimate to humans.

He enjoyed the human act of kissing, but the way they had kissed that night was the most sensational to date. He had felt something pass between him and the human girl. He felt connected in such a way only described in the maddest of flights of the imagination. And ancestors preserve him, but he wanted to hold that feeling, wrap it so tight around himself that he would have to be buried with it.

However, after that, the girl had withdrawn from him. Even as she came to the Agency day after day, and continued to investigate the New Bloodline to the best of her ability, she didn't allow him anymore than what she had before that night.

Willing to understand that such a drastic change would be difficult for her below-average intelligence, Neuro had given her space. He had even agreed to the Police Officer's invitation to go fishing. It would be a good chance to play a game and get the girl back on track.

It turned out to be a fairly decent distraction, but only a brief one.

After they returned to the office, Neuro and the girl had gone back to what information they had gathered in the hopes of finding something they could use. Assured that things were at ease between them, he said what he wanted to say.

"_Let me kiss you.__**"**_

"_No,__**"**_was her immediate reply.

"_Let me kiss you,__**"**_he repeated. He was not asking a question, so she shouldn't have any right to object.

But once again, she said, _**"**__No.__**"**_

"_I'm going to do it anyway,__**"**_ was his answer as he walked across the ceiling. He would have preferred that she be consenting to the action, as the kisses she had given him freely were far more enjoyable, but his patience was at an end.

"_No!__**"**_ The girl exclaimed, moving to get up from the sofa. _**"**__Don't come near me!__**"**_

Before she could escape, he dropped from the ceiling and wrestled her back to the couch. This resulted in an interesting struggle. Papers, books, her bag and even a couple couch cushions were sent flying in the fray. But in the end, Neuro had the girl pinned beneath him, though she still attempted to put up a fight by hitting him with a textbook that had fallen from her school bag.

"_CUT! IT! OUT!__**"**_ She shrieked from beneath him, punctuating her words with a hit from a book she had caught.

"_Don't be difficult,__**"**_he said, grabbing one hand and holding it. _**"**__It's not as if we haven't kissed before.__**"**_

"_No WAY! GET OFF ME!__**"**_

"_Why not?__**"**_ He asked with a sigh.

The girl seemed to struggle with an answer. She covered her eyes with her free arm, attempting to think before finally opening her mouth. _**"**__…Because…it'll feel good…_**"**

Neuro looked at the girl like her cerebral cortex had finally collapsed in on itself. _**"**__If it feels good, then it's good to keep doing it.__**"**_

"_It's not good!__**"**_ She insisted helplessly, hiding her face from the demon. _**"**__It's like everything will stop being good. I feel like I'll forget a lot of things…I don't want to…__**"**_

Neuro didn't understand. But sighing, he contented himself with a short kiss at the corner of her mouth before getting up and returning to his desk. He still had the fish hooks and line in Troy's drawers, and he needed to pacify his irritation.

It wasn't long after that the Police Officer, Sasazuka, was killed. And that scream had first erupted in his ears.

He was surprised at first that no one else had noticed it. But nonetheless, it was a noise that compelled him to find her. And when he did, she had not risen to acknowledge him. Her hands gripped so tightly to the bars of that small window that her skin had turned white. He had struggled with getting her to let go before he returned her home. All the while, her scream resounding in his brain, though she had not made a sound.

After that, it seemed she had retreated to a space no one else was allowed to enter. He had given her time and space to recover, while he went out and continued to work towards his goal of finding SICKS and killing his cause. However that very same day, the scream grew louder. First, when Honjou killed himself in front of her. And then when she had fled from the Office.

Thus, he was back where he started. He hated going in circles. A problem is rarely solved by going in circles.

It was exasperating and completely ineffective in answering anything that he immediately required. If anything, it just clouded the issue further. Perhaps he had been among Humans too long.

Human potential was something Neuro appreciated, if nothing else. Because humans thought so similarly, yet so much diversely than his own race, it made solving Puzzles so much more delightful up here than it had been in Hell. So desperate to use what little time they had and fill their lives with meaning and comfort, humans could do many things and improve in ways that demons were incapable of.

But Death was the end of all that. Like snuffing out a matchstick, once a human dies, there are no more possibilities, no more endeavors, no more Puzzles. Nothing.

Sasazuka and Honjou, both strong and brilliant in their own ways, would never have the opportunity to further themselves in this life. The detective had likely anticipated his death; one would have to when fighting the New Bloodline. The old man had done little to advance in his life, in spite of his intellect, and as suddenly as a change in the wind, had taken his own life.

Shockingly, one thing became clear by going over everything again. One very simple, yet astonishing fact.

'_**I Want To Know Why.'**_

He wanted to know why those men had been content to die.

He wanted to know why the human girl had run away.

He wanted to know why she wouldn't stop screaming.

He did not understand Humans and their sentiments. And it was ridiculous from every angle his Demonic brain looked at it, but it was what he wanted. And he rarely denied himself anything.

**. . . . . . .**

"Akane, how much of your human life do you remember?"

**[Quite a bit, actually…]** was the written response.

"Sorrow…is the most common reaction to death, yes?" Neuro inquired. "But sorrow can be overcome, can it not?"

The braid seemed to contemplate a moment before picking up her marker. **[Given enough time, I guess. But there's regret, too. That's not as easy to live down.]**

"Regret…" the Demon went over the Dictionary and Encyclopedia he had devoured when he had first come to occupy the office. "A Noun: A sense of loss and longing for something or someone gone; A feeling of disappointment or distress about something that one wishes could be different… They sound like the same thing to me."

**[I guess they do, but they're not exactly**] the braid of ebony hair wrote. **[You might feel sorrow because of someone's death, but the regret that you might have talked to that someone more, or apologized for something, or done something different. . .]**

Neuro processed this new tidbit of information, but was no more satisfied than before.

It was pointless to wish certain things could be different in any situation. Things happened the way they happened. If you can't be smart enough the first time around, there's only the little hope that you won't mess up again later. All one could do is wise up, there was no point lamenting past errors.

"Humans are very maudlin," the Demon sighed. "I don't think I have ever felt 'regret' about anything in my whole life. It must make day-to-day living very hard, being so sentimental about everything."

He didn't see Akane stiffen at his remark. But he turned back when he heard the braid jot something down on her whiteboard before she quickly pulled back behind the wallpaper.

**[It's not a matter of being sentimental or maudlin or whatever! What matters is having enough consideration for another person's feelings!]**

"Consideration?" Neuro blinked. He enjoyed others fear of him. They reacted pretty much the same, but there were some that actually tried to hide it. Even the Demons that truly respected him in spite of their fear were something he appreciated. "What do you mean?"

Akane popped out and wiped her board clean, but didn't write anything else as she curled up behind the wallpaper. She wouldn't likely have anything to say to Neuro for the rest of the day, as he had somehow offended her. Even in a strange middle ground between living and dead, a Human was still a Human.

And as much as he enjoyed toying with them, Nougami Neuro did not understand Humans.

**. . . . . . .**

Godai didn't bother slowing down as he answered his cell phone. "Yo! Talk fast! I'm driving!"

"You shouldn't talk on the phone while driving," came Neuro's voice travelled through the phone, as well as across the small cabin of Godai's truck. He sat far less than a foot from the human, his own cell phone open and dialed into his slave's. "You could get into an accident if your attention is divided."

"DON'T CALL ME IF YOU'RE SITTIN' RIGHT FUCKIN' THERE!" The bleach-blond man shouted at Neuro, as well as into his phone.

"You shouldn't take your eyes off the road either," the Demon quipped pleasantly, still talking through his phone. "You're not a very good driver. One of these days, you're going to get into an accident and break all the bones in your body, condemning yourself to eating all of your meals through a straw for the rest of your life."

"Like Hell!" Godai snapped his phone shut and tossed it away. He had been rudely awoken by the Monster and ordered to drive him somewhere—a prison, of all places!—and Neuro had not stopped pestering him in the most upsetting ways. They had been pulled over about twice now. Godai was ready to let the blue-clad monster out and leave.

But aside from the occasional bit of sadistic banter, the Monster had been surprisingly quiet.

And the man had a nagging feeling that it was because that Kid wasn't with him.

He hadn't seen or heard a thing from that Girl since the Police Officer's death. It had only been a couple of days, but when he stepped into the Detective Agency, something immediately felt off. The sign on the office door had been cut in two, one half lying on the floor like an empty gum wrapper, so that would have thrown anybody off. But something else, the whole atmosphere in the agency felt off kilter somehow.

If it weren't for a hastily scrawled message on a white board in the office, he might not know anything at all.

**[Miss Detective left]**

A weird note to leave, apparently not from the Detective herself—from who, he had no clue!—but it also came as a bit of a surprise. The death of the Police Officer had definitely traumatized her. She hadn't even been able to walk until the Monster had shown up and carted her off. But now, she was just gone?

"Godai."

The sudden, rare use of his name from the Monster made him jump, but he quickly hid his shock. "…What?"

"As a slave, you follow orders," Neuro said. "Even if you don't always like it."

"I never like it! And I ain't your slave!"

"But what about your former master? Did you not serve him earnestly, in spite of how little you may have liked it?"

The Monster's question actually surprised Godai. He had rarely heard anything but insults and sadistic humor leave his mouth, so this sincere question was definitely a landmark for something impossibly terrible. Was the Detective's leaving him really that much of an impact? Well, even Godai could hardly picture one without the other. That they were definitely not working together anymore was—

The sudden pinching and pulling on one of his lip piercings snapped Godai out of his reverie, and almost made him hit another car. The Monster did not release his hold on the Human man's face, but they were lucky enough to avoid a collision.

"You were taking too long in answering my question," Neuro grinned, still pulling at Godai's face in the most agonizing way possible. "Did it take so long for my words to reach your brain in that vast grotto called your skull?"

"LeggoLeggoLeggoLeggoLeggo…!" Godai snapped, his eyes watering from the pain. "I was thinkin'! I was thinkin'! Leggo!"

Neuro may have taken pity on the man, though it was more likely that he had grown bored with the slight pain he was inflicting and released him. "Well?"

Rubbing his sore lip with his tongue, expecting to see a bruise sometime tomorrow, Godai considered what he might say. "Well…Saotome-san and I were tight," he said simply. "Sure! The guy was an asshole, but he was the better guy of the whole lot of us. We understood each other enough that he knew how to push my buttons, but we still got along fine. I guess, 'cause I was useful enough to him, I wanted to prove I was better than he thought I was. I guess…?"

He dared to glance at the Monster, and was again surprised. This time, by the almost thoughtful expression, as if he was actually taking the time to consider something. Though whether it was actually about anything that Godai had said was a matter of debate.

Eventually, the pensive expression was replaced with a vague look of dissatisfied perplexity. Like he just didn't understand whatever he had been thinking about.

The rest of the drive was spent in silence, and they soon arrived at the prison.

"Wait here," the Monster said, stepping out. "I don't expect that I'll be very long. But while you're waiting, feel free to leave the car running and inhale as much carbon dioxide as you can."

"DO NOT WANT!"

**. . . . . . .**

Neuro understood the basic aspects of the Human Brain. He understood that certain chemicals of the brain will transmit signals to the synapse in response to various things: Pain; Attraction; Hunger; various forms of Physical Stimuli. But thus far, this had not entirely explained what he was looking to decipher on this odd little Puzzle.

What he needed was someone who was intimately familiar with what can affect a Human's brain. Physically, emotionally, there was only one Human that immediately came to mind.

Aya Asia. Aizawa Aya. Songstress. Confidant. Murderer.

Someone that human girl went to for advice. Someone who could reach in and touch a person's brain with a complex melody, and break it if she so chose.

There existed Demons in Hell with such a talent, but only a rare few. Those who possessed the Devil Voice, as it was usually called, were known to entertain themselves as Storytellers. There were not that many outside the Demon Court anymore, but that was mostly because it was a gift that the Emperor himself looked to preserve for future generations.

That a human woman possessed such a skill never failed to tickle Neuro's amusement as well as stir his interest. He wondered how a Human could be so gifted, without Hell Blood. If she had even a trace of Demon, he would have been aware of it upon the first glance. But she was purely human, and that was what made her special.

Taking the appointed seat before the wall of bulletproof glass that separated him from the fair-haired woman in prison fatigues, Neuro smiled. "Aya-san. How are you?"

"I am well, thank you," Aya smiled back, though she was clearly taken aback. "I must be honest, Mister Assistant… I never expected to see you here."

"A necessity, I'm afraid," the Demon shrugged.

"I understand that you and Miss Detective have been quite busy with those terrorists, since she has not been to visit me in quite some time…"

Aya trailed off, perhaps seeing something in Neuro's face, though he was certain he had not flinched in the slightest.

"Is something the matter, Mister Assistant?"

Crossing his arms, Neuro met the woman's gaze evenly. "Aya, I would like you to sing for me."

His request, as well as his lack of an honorific, surprised her. "You want me…to sing? I don't mind, Mister Assistant," she quickly added with an ironic laugh. "But... While my songs can affect Human brains, I don't think it will have any effect on _yours_."

"It doesn't matter," Neuro said, sitting back comfortably. "Sing."

Aya did not know that Neuro was specifically a Demon. But like Godai, the woman was aware that he was not human, and therefore, she did not underestimate him. So when she sang, she used a good amount of her strength. She wanted to show the Detective's Assistant what she was really capable of. It was likely that half the prison was suffering the effects of her voice, staggering and dropping under the impact of her potent melody. The sound traveled through the thoughts of everyone who heard it and caught them in a terrible and beautiful grip, to mold and play however she chose.

But Nougami Neuro sat straight and tranquil, listening with his full attention as her song passed through the cracks and small openings in the transparent wall that separated them. But unlike her usual guard that sat drooling in her chair, her melody drifted by him like a simple breeze. Not a single note caught hold of his thoughts or feelings.

And both of them knew it.

He breathed a soft sigh. "That's enough."

The song ended at his behest, and Aya watched as he rose up and headed for the door, not bothering to look back at her.

"As I thought," Neuro almost seemed to lament. "I don't understand Humans."

The door opened and shut, with an odd sense of finality. The songstress sat in her cage, silent, with an unusual sensation of pity for the man-creature who could not understand Humans. As much as he seemed to want to.

**. . . . . . .**

When Neuro returned to the office, he was no more satisfied than when he had left. Honestly, he felt even more displeased than before.

That usually meant it was time well wasted and he would amuse himself by abusing a certain human girl. But he was without a usable human, and was thus left to sit at his desk and—as the Human term put it—stew over it.

He didn't really get the expression, but the word felt right.

Felt… Feeling... Emotion…

Neuro, like all Demons to come to the surface, had been forced to adapt to the laws of physics of his new environment. The result of that was that he could now bleed, severed limbs would not reattach as easily as they should, and he also experienced the lightest brush of Human Emotion.

If he was able to feel it, he should be capable of deciphering it. Of labeling it and moving on with his life.

So why couldn't he?

Why did he still feel like his stomach was trying to break down something big and very solid?

Why wouldn't that unvoiced scream fall silent now that she was gone?

It felt like he was picking something apart, but no matter how many pieces he looked at, he could not understand it. That wasn't possible. He could understand anything once all the pieces were laid out before him. Even if someone else had dismantled it, even if the pieces were out of order, he could fit them together again and comprehend the entire device.

But Human Emotion was not a simple device. Normally, that complexity would pique his interest enough to want to solve the Puzzle even more. If it was too easy, it wasn't really worth his time. But this one was proving to be a seemingly endless Puzzle that went in circles.

Neuro hated going in circles. He hated circles in general. You couldn't say where the things started when you rolled or turned a circle. Circles were never-ending. Triangles were more aesthetically pleasing. They had definite corners. Even if the triangle turned, finding where you started wasn't incredibly difficult. Squares were even less complex, and therefore less interesting.

His Father loved Circles. Far more, the symbol of Infinity he had learned from his Mother during their courting days. His Mother once explained to Neuro—back when he still had to look up to see her face, rather than down—that all things in her world moved in an endless cycle of Life, Death and Rebirth. And his Father, mostly because his Mother had brought it to him, came to like circles so much more than simple lines.

Neuro sighed heavily. The last thing he wanted to think about was his Father. He didn't always listen to him, mostly because he knew he was supposed to—everyone was supposed to—but his Father always made sense whenever he talked. It was infuriating, but he couldn't help but wonder if his old man would have a solution to this quandary.

Neuro remembered the one moment his Father confessed to having ever been afraid.

"_She had to return to her world, lest it be destroyed by the very people who sought to protect it, who sought to rescue her,_**"** his Father said. ** "**_It hurt her to know that her absence was the cause of so much death. And knowing that I had forced it upon her and her people…I was…afraid of breaking her…_**"**

Still being a child, stubborn and absolutely assured about how things should and always would be, Neuro had honestly been shaken by the older Demon's admission. He had always known that his Mother had a power over his Father like nothing else in existence. He rested his head on her lap and slept peacefully in his Mother's garden. But to stir fear in the Beast was beyond imagining.

"_I released her from Hell's borders,_**"** the ancient Demon told him, once again shocking his only son. Neuro had never known that his Mother had left their dark world after her marriage. He didn't actually think it was possible. **"**_She returned to her world of light and noise. And Hell went still._**"**

His Father fell silent, pausing in his telling as his dark eyes drifted to a place far beyond Neuro. A place without him, or any other Demons, or Hell at all. A place where nothing lived and nothing died. Where there was only himself.

Though he would never admit it, Neuro always felt a strange quake within his being whenever he saw that look in the eyes of either of his parents. Like there was a place he could not be heard, a place he could not reach no matter how hard he tried. It was an unpleasant feeling. It always had been.

"_When I first took her, she often told me that she had never felt hatred before,_**"** his Father went on slowly. **"**_She often said that she had never abhorred anything so much as she did me. That I taught her the meaning of hate…But I wanted to keep her. So I let her go._**"** This never made any sense to Neuro. If he ever wanted something, he never let anyone else have it. Not even after he had grown bored with it. **"**_I released her, so there was no reason to believe that she would look back. I honestly thought she would never think of me again…I thought she would take that piece of me with her and never return it…_**"**

"_And yet…she came back,_**"** he breathed, his astonishment as ripe as that dark morning so very long before Neuro had been born. **"**_Barefoot and aglow with renewed strength, she returned to me._**"** He looked at his young child, his unfathomable gaze meeting Neuro's emerald-obsidian, and told him his deepest secret. ** "**_I do not hold her captive, Neuro. She holds me so, and has yet to release me…_**"**

His Father's words had both amused and mystified Neuro. As little as he liked the Demon, and enjoyed the thought of besting him, it was impossible for anyone to hold his Father in any sense of the word. Surely, even with all the influence she had over him, she could not have capture the elder Demon. He often thought about the words spoken to him that day, but after a while the boy had stopped trying to decipher their true meaning.

For a moment, Neuro actually paused to consider his parents' situation in comparison to his own. And scoffed at the idea.

Really, there was no comparison. He had released the human girl because she had disappointed him. Because she had said something so unacceptable to him, he couldn't stand to have her near him anymore. He never wanted to see her ever again.

But then, Neuro's Mother would say to be truthful. Even the slightest deceit, especially to himself, would make a Puzzle impossible to solve. As he prided himself with solving all the Puzzles of Hell, he allowed himself to stand sideways and consider the entirety of both the Human girl's actions, as well as his own.

They had worked well together.

While it was impossible for him to understand Humans and their outlook on all things, it was equally so for a Human to understand a Demon. So they had done very well together, in spite of all the things against them.

He had used her to his own ends, and she had proven valuable.

She amused him through various actions and reactions.

He enjoyed kissing her.

She allowed him to go on kissing her.

They had fit together.

He had been too overzealous in telling the Police Detective his thoughts on the death of his family. His carelessness allowed the Police Officer to go astray.

She had been hurt because of the deaths she had been forced to witness. Two beloved friends ending their lives right before her eyes was just too much to bear.

"_You don't understand! The pain of seeing someone precious die right before your eyes!_**"**

"_If I had never pretended to be a Detective, I wouldn't have to feel this way!_**"**

"_It would have been better if we had never met! Whether it's everyone, or you!_**"**

Neuro didn't know what else she would expect by telling him that besides his retaliation. He didn't understand what she wanted from him besides his anger by speaking those unacceptable words.

He had been upset by her words of anger and despair.

…He had been _upset_.

_He_ had been disconcerted.

_He_ had been thrown off balance.

She had hurt him.

A Human girl—Yako had hurt him, with nothing more than words. He felt the sting of her resentment and grief, and could only compare the sensation to that of when he had torn his way through Hell to Earth. With no physical wound to show for it, he had lashed out in retribution.

Yako had been thwarted by Sicks.

Neuro had been thwarted by Yako.

For her insolence, Neuro thwarted Yako.

And now, neither of them held anything. They had allowed Sicks to get one up on them. And Yako was unwilling to fight anymore. She had broken.

"How ridiculous," the Demon muttered. But his words lacked any real sting. He had hoped the sound of his own voice would rid him of this dreary yet itchy feeling, but he found nothing beyond empty words.

Yako had beaten him.

**. . . . . . .**

He had not taken his necessary amount of sleep.

His ears were ringing.

Both artificial and natural lights made the back of his eyes ache.

He was hungry.

He was thirsty.

He was bored.

He was irritated by everything he laid eyes on.

He wondered if this was the feeling Humans suffered when they were without caffeine in the morning. Or perhaps suffering a hangover. He had never gotten himself drunk, even on Demon liquors. He wondered if it might improve his presently sour mood.

Truthfully, he had not expected the ordeal with Godai to be successful, but he had hoped to be diverted to some degree. When the entire issue had backfired, he was glad but no less displeased when the man fled from the Office in tears.

Now, Akane was refusing to work as well. Having left her message on her whiteboard, she now hid behind her wallpaper. Fear of what Neuro might do in his present state was understandable, but it didn't make her assertion any less displeasing to him.

**[I'm not working if it's not with Miss Detective.]**

The words in dry-erase marker burned. If Akane was not already quite dead, Neuro might have actually cut off her fingers one by one in the most agonizing way possible, considering his present disposition. But as his secretary was very much post mortem, there wasn't much to be done.

"Fine," he replied icily. "From this moment, you are relieved of your lifetime of hair-care. Instead, decolorizer and bleach will be applied daily."

The braid of black hair peeked out from behind the wallpaper, and while she didn't write it, he had always been able to understand her without her having to write her words. And he might have actually laughed at her poor attempt at an insult, had he been in a better humor.

'**Demon!'**

Neuro was a Demon. He was a great Demon. He didn't obey any whim but his own. He was cruel and frightening. He used Humans as his tools and for his food. He didn't even need to eat anything substantial, unlike most Demons. He already held a seat in the Demon Emperor's Court, which was quite a feat considering his youth. He had yet to truly best his Father in any sort of contest, but the same could be said of anyone in Hell, besides his Mother. All the same, everyone in Hell knew his name. Ever since he chose what he was to be called on his nameday, everyone both feared and honored him.

He was the one Demon to eat all the mysteries and Puzzles in Hell.

He had broken Hell's Law and broken through the walls separating this world from that one.

He had lived here this long, and enjoyed the fruits of his labors.

He—

Stopped.

Just as he heard her stop in the doorway, also.

He didn't have to turn and look. He didn't want to look. He knew it was her, no one else had that smell. What he didn't understand was how she had come so close without him noticing. Belatedly, he realized with no small shock or relief, that that scream had at last gone silent. His ears had been ringing after he had awoken from his brief sleep, but he had failed to notice that the scream had fled entirely. He had always enjoyed the respite of sleep he had to take since coming to the Human world, but now he was starting to appreciate the necessity of the process. Very rarely had he ever been so fatigued that he failed to notice a change in something.

But even if he was too exhausted to hear her approach, his insects should have alerted him to her presence when she turned onto this street. He made a quick check, and was frustrated at his findings. He wondered if she at all noticed the Demonic insects that had swarmed around her and followed her to the office. All without giving him the slightest hint to her being there. _'Traitors.'_

"Neuro…"

The sound of his chosen name rolling off her lips actually made something shudder inside him. Something new and very old. It was ridiculous, really. It had only been ninety-six hours, thirty minutes and fifteen seconds since he banished her from the office. He shouldn't enjoy hearing her say his name, or want her to say it again. He should be angry that she would dare to return, that she had the audacity to stand there like she actually belonged there. He was angry, very angry. He was very dangerous when he was angry. Even she had to know that much, so why was she here?

"I told you to _disappear_!" He hissed darkly. He still didn't turn to look at her, but he knew she had trembled with fear.

Rather than answering him, Neuro heard her pull something from the confines of her bag. Something—a plastic cap came off with a 'pop!' and the smell of alcohol reached his senses as a series of squeaks—a marker—against the surface of the door filled the otherwise silent office.

He didn't turn to look at her, so he couldn't say just yet what she had done. But whatever it was, it made Akane come out of the wall with a happy flail and the faintest glow of delight.

"I won't run away anymore," he heard her say, the honesty in her voice making the Demon pause. "I won't burst into tears at the drop of a hat, or think that never meeting you is a good thing…" The smell of Human metal. The slight rattle of a small chain. "If you have doubts, then feel free to chain me up."

At last, Neuro deigned to look at the Human girl that had been his for a short while. She was kneeling a few feet away from him, her head bowed and a pair of handcuffs resting on the floor before her.

"No matter what I have to do, please, let me be by your side."

Looking at her very shrewdly, Neuro could see that while her posture and her words indicated complete subservience, he could hear her heart pounding rapidly.

She was afraid.

Neuro felt a brush of satisfaction at this knowledge. He could do anything to her. She was Human, after all. Even if he was not even half as powerful as he truly was, his strength was still far beyond her own. But where he would have once been inclined to answer the song of supremacy and attack his prey, he now only felt the sensation echo and fade within the emptiness of his being.

"Training?" He had always been harsh.

"Whatever you deem fit," was her steady reply.

"Shoes?" She had never surrendered to that.

"I'll lick them." Just as firm, just as sure, she was prepared for retribution.

"In my eyes, there are things that have to be done. Things I have to see through to the end…" She slowly raised her dark brown gaze from the floor to meet his obsidian-emerald. "…These things…can't be done if I'm not with you."

As their eyes met for the first time in days, Neuro felt that new-old sensation again. He felt it fill him in a way his satisfaction at her fear could not. He did not know this feeling. It was completely different from, yet somehow very similar to every emotion he had experienced in the Human world. It made no sense at all, but it was the honest truth.

What was he supposed to do with it?

"You don't have to tell me to train you," he said coldly as he crossed the room to stand before the Human girl. "I decide the training for every person in this world. According to time. According to trainee." Raising his foot, he caught her chin and tilted her head back so that she looked into his face. "According to what's most appropriate."

He let it show how much he was displeased with her. She had left him well before he had opened the door for her that day. She was well aware that punishment was necessary at this point.

No matter how the absence of her voiceless scream.

No matter his inability to truly comprehend Humans and their complex emotions.

No matter how he could not identify even his own feelings about what had happened.

Punishment was necessary for her to understand her place, and for him to ease that unpleasant sensation in his stomach.

So he slapped her.

The sound of his gloved hand meeting her face seemed to silence everything else in the office, in the whole building. Akane went stiff. The drone of the computers hushed. The warmth of the sunlight stopped at the windows. The very walls, every brick, beam and pane of glass ceased to breathe.

"If even this has no effect at all, then you'll truly not be worthy of being a slave," he said.

The Human girl, Katsuragi Yako slowly recovered from the blow and looked back at him with wide eyes. Even as he picked up the handcuffs she had brought and crushed the flimsy Human metal in one hand as one would an empty soda can, she didn't move or say a word.

But Neuro had the odd sensation of two pieces messily sewn back together and was satisfied with the silence.

And for the first time in a long while, he wanted to smile. And he rarely denied himself anything.

**. . . . . . .**

_Again, I am sorry this took so long!_

_I'll understand if any of you are somewhat disappointed at the lack of action between Neuro and Yako this time around, but this is how I wanted to do it. If this whole Chapter seems scrambled, I am really, really sorry._

_I promise that the next Chapter will be more prompt and interesting!_


	5. Realize - Understand

_Hello, friends! As promised, another chapter!_

_How are you all today? Thank you all so much for your sympathy, your patience and your reviews. I'm so glad that everyone enjoyed Chapter 04._

**05 -**

**Realize [Understand]**

Joint locks.

Throwing techniques.

Bondage tools.

Needles.

Whips.

Electricity.

Locks.

Swearing.

Abandonment play.

Yako had already resigned herself to any number of tortures and crazy commands from the Demon when she had decided to come back. She knew that he could do anything to her, even before she had 'applied to be a slave', as Neuro put it. That she had admitted to be willing to do anything he wanted if he let her stay was the last nail in her coffin as far as she was concerned.

And yet Yako found herself wondering if there was any torture worse than this newest addition to Neuro's arsenal.

Only a few minutes after telling him about Honjou-san's notebook, Neuro had declared that he was tired. "As your Master, you must provide me with a comfortable pillow. As my Slave, you will keep watch to see that we are not attacked while I sleep."

And so Yako sat. Wide awake. Allowing Neuro to use her lap as his designated pillow. While he slept as deep as a winter night, breathing softly against her knees. To say this wasn't awkward would be wholly and completely untrue. But she was where she needed to be and her world was as it should be.

Her cheek still stung from his slap earlier. She wondered if there would be a bruise come the morning, and was a little amazed when she realized that she didn't care.

In fact, a small part of her almost hoped for a mark to show itself, to proclaim itself to the world and say whatever it needed to say.

'_This sucks! I'm turning into a masochist!_' She whined to herself, mussing up her hair with frantic fingers, near tears at the awful thought.

A soft sigh from the Demon in her lap made her go still and look at him. His sleeping face was not pinched with pain or breaking with exhaustion like it had been lately. He looked more like he had that night at the _onsen_ so long ago. He looked calm, contented. His usual grin had relaxed into a mild curve of the lips, and his obsidian-emerald gaze lay hidden behind pale eyelids and black lashes.

Something about his smooth features made her think of a cat curled up in the sun. Which was a little ridiculous, since his real form—_'Other form,'_ she should say; both were NEURO—was a very bizarre, demonic bird of prey. But as she watched him slumber, maybe even dream, she wondered about the strange creature that she had abandoned for a short time.

Neuro cared more for the sake of eating than breathing. He toyed with humans, but he also relied on them. She doubted that he thought very highly of her, so there was no question about that. He wanted nothing from her, though at the same time he demanded everything.

At this point, Yako wasn't sure what else she had left to surrender to him. So much had been broken already.

Genuine had asked her, just before she had killed herself, **"**_Are you prepared? The closer you get to that man, the more you risk losing everything that you hold dear. Knowing this, will you still endure?_**"**

Yako had not been able to answer her.

She already knew that even the people close to her could be victims of SICKS and his New Bloodline. She had been able to contain her feelings, though the existence of such evil was never far from her thoughts. In the lonely hours of the night, she would lie awake worrying about her Mother, her friends, even people she simply passed by day after day. She could lose any of them, all of them to the New Bloodline. She couldn't do much in the face of such power, so she had little choice but to try and focus on the positive things. But like a dull ache, fear and unease remained.

Yako had never truly voiced her worries. Neuro would not likely understand, and would doubtless answer her the same way whenever she had qualms about anything that even remotely involved himself. "Who do you think I am? Have you forgotten that I am the one to solve all the Puzzles of Hell?"

Neuro was powerful, but Yako would be lying if she said she hadn't noticed his deteriorating condition. Her worries only seemed to increase as their war with the New Bloodline wore on and the Demon's strength waned.

In the time she had known Neuro, he had become a constant in her life. While he was hardly encouraging or very kind at all, it was natural to believe that he would always be there. Whether she wanted him there or not, for better or worse, he would always be waiting at the Office for her.

So when the fear made itself known, Yako could hardly believe it. She was honestly terrified of losing Neuro.

But she still couldn't say anything to anyone. Nor could she entirely ignore the fear slithering at the edge of her thoughts.

The only thing that truly seemed to knock her thoughts right out of the park were the haphazard kisses Neuro gave her. For him, kissing was likely little more than a pleasant stimulation. Something new to entertain himself at her expense**.**

Yako couldn't really say if she enjoyed it or not. Certainly, the Demon's spontaneous kisses infuriated her to no end, but the initial sensation was still a question. She couldn't even say if it was good or bad, since she had never kissed a boy before Neuro's sudden interest in the activity. In truth, she tried not to think about it at all.

But after that incident in her room—_on her bed!_—she had been forced to acknowledge the horrifying fact that she had reacted physically to Nougami Neuro. She was amazed that the sky hadn't gone black and started raining fire at the realization.

Yako had never fallen in love, or been intimate with anybody. But as much as her Dad once encouraged her to find someone kind, someone who would be whatever she needed, she had never been involved. She never even joined Kanae on group dates with any intent to meet someone. No guy had ever interested her, possibly because Kanae was always with someone one day only to break up with them another. She didn't need the trouble of a guy when life was so much simpler without one.

And after Neuro had come into her life, she doubted that even if she was to become interested in a certain individual, the Demon would never allow it to interfere with work.

She understood the basic mechanics of love and intimacy, having read her fair share of romance novels, but Yako had never thought about anything beyond words on a page. There was occasionally a wistful moment of wondering if someone really could love a person as strange as her, or if someone existed who could ignite any sort of passion. She had always sincerely doubted it.

The very terrible fact that none other than Nougami Neuro had actually _turned her on_ with a very deep kiss was enough to make her question her sanity. Sure, she wasn't very normal by public standards, but she wasn't suicidal!

Neuro could already boast that he was of higher intelligence than her. He could also go on about how many ways he could torture her without killing her. If he became aware of her body's response to his kiss, Yako would never live it down. She would sooner kill herself.

So she did the only thing she could in such a predicament: She pulled away from him.

She didn't want to risk anything more for Neuro's new hobby. Like anyone, Yako hated being at the mercy of people and events mightier than herself. So she should have hated Neuro with as much power as she had, but she didn't. But if she could hold on, if she could grasp some measure of control, she wouldn't lose to Neuro or anyone else.

"_Because it'll feel good… It's like everything will stop being good._**"** There was no better way of explaining it, but she had told Neuro the truth that day. If this thing she was feeling never got any better, it would never get any worse. It was better to stay the same, rather than change and complicate things.

That's what she told herself.

Nothing had to change. Crisis after crisis, she grew, but nothing had to change. The New Bloodline were terrible, frightening and inhuman. But if they were defeated, they would be the same as every other villain they had faced in the past.

And then, with the flash of a single gunshot, as if it was nothing at all, Sasazuka-san was gone.

"_The feeling of loss when a Pawn retires from the board and can never return again. So this is…Death._**"**

Neuro had remarkably summed up the general feeling, even if he didn't entirely understand the deeper emotion of Loss. The piece of her heart that beat for Sasazuka Eishi had shattered, and it was as excruciating as that rainy day when they found her Father dead in his own studio. It was a piece of herself she would never get back, it was a hole she could never fill again.

Like when her Father had been killed, there was throbbing pain in her head and in her heart, she could not find her appetite or a way to do anything but stand there and watch everything pass by. But unlike that very first encounter with Death, Yako found a strange sort of clarity.

One of the reasons she had gradually become able to sense the evil in people was because she was always with Neuro. He was wicked, so she could identify something similar in regular people, even if the people they encountered weren't at all like Neuro. In meeting SICKS face to face, her vague sense of people's evil intent had become far more sensitive than it had been before.

She was able to piece together an answer within a matter of hours. She vaguely wondered if Neuro might be impressed, but the thought was quickly passed over. There were enough strange points in her reasoning that she could have been wrong about Honjou-san.

Yako wanted to be wrong.

But she had been right.

About Honjou-san. About Sasazuka-san. About SICKS. About his New Bloodline. About his Evil and Madness.

Yako had lost another piece of herself. Right in front of her, she had watched Sasazuka-san and then Hojou-san die.

Just as Genuine had promised, the closer she had come to the evil that was SICKS the more she had lost to his cause.

Yako didn't want to lose anything else. She didn't want to watch anyone else die. She didn't want to hold in her pain and suffer by herself.

So she let it all out. Even though Neuro wouldn't ever understand, even though he would likely belittle her for her emotions, she spoke out. About the loss, about the anger, about the regret and fear that tore her from the inside. She said everything that was in her head, not holding back her tears or her feelings, not caring about the pain of her own nails biting into her palm until she actually bled.

Breathless, she tried to get a better handle on herself before she could say anything more, and turned to face him again.

Yako never would have expected the Demon's reaction.

Neuro could have hit her, tied her up, cursed her, or any number of appalling things in reprimand for her outburst. But the expression of 'having lost interest', the look of his thoughts wandering away from the boring now to something more significant, was the cruelest thing he could have ever thrown at her. His calm, level tone as he cut her name from the Office door and actually _thanked_ her, was far more excruciating than any insult or curse could ever hope to be.

He let her go.

Angry that he could never understand why it hurt, miserable that he would never comfort her, dejected that she had lost what little confidence he had in her, frightened by all the unknowns that stretched out before her, Yako could do nothing but run away.

Three days later, although it felt like so much longer, here she was. Back at the Detective Agency. Back Home.

Leaning her head back, Yako looked up at the ceiling with a heavy sigh. It was the same ceiling as before she had left. The same number of tiles, the same cracks, and the exact same number of feet had not changed in the least.

She could hardly say the same for herself. And she wasn't sure how she should feel about that.

Yako didn't feel as brittle as before. She actually felt a bit stronger, though not very much. Certainly not anywhere near what she wanted to be, but it was enough to get her through coming back to the Office and Neuro.

Looking back at the Hell Spawn sleeping on her lap, brushing his black bangs out of his pale face, Yako wondered if Neuro had been sleeping properly. He usually took his rest when she was either completely restrained or not around most of the time. Not so much that he would actually use her as his pillow, but more that he would sleep in such close proximity to her was really bizarre and a little troubling.

Had her absence actually upset him to the point he didn't even sleep?

As amazed as she was at Aya-san's visit, as well as her news of Neuro's visit to the prison, Yako still wasn't sure if she could fully accept the idea of the Demon trying to understand Humans. He had always expressed only the utmost boredom at the idea of Human Emotions, aside from what he actually ate. Would he really take the time to try and decipher them?

While she may never know whatever happened to Neuro while she was gone, Yako understood that she herself didn't like being without him.

Her fear of losing Neuro, of losing that bigger part of herself that existed because of him, had definitely become more prominent during the past few days. But even when she pulled away from him rather than stay and watch him die, it still resulted in the same hurt. She had still lost him.

Not that he was really ever hers. The very idea that he ever was, would or could be was ridiculous. Excruciatingly so.

Sighing again, even heavier than before, Yako wished the Human heart wasn't so complicated. Threading her fingers through the hair under her hands idly, she actually wondered if things were simpler for Demons because they didn't have complex emotions like Humans. Neuro didn't concern himself with things beyond eating; not even the necessity of breathing mattered to him, so why would something like anxiety for anything bother—

Yako gasped at the sudden grip on her left wrist that withdrew her fingers.

Looking up at her from beneath his ebony bangs, his pupils burning like a pair of white-hot coals in the dark, Neuro slowly sat up. But he didn't relinquish his painful hold, instead gripping her wrist tighter as he became upright again.

"Don't."

The single word, while not so much icy as it was evenly incensed, Yako actually felt frightened and she wondered what she had done wrong.

"Don't ask for things you don't want. You should know better."

'_What—'_ Yako felt her face go pale when she remembered. She couldn't believe she had actually forgotten.

Neuro's hair.

Since that time in her room, she had done her best not to think about the implications of what she had done by brushing his hair. And without thinking about it, she had been touching his hair like she was petting a cat resting on her lap, when what she really had was a thousand times more dangerous than a dozing lion.

All Yako could do at this point was meet his gaze and brace herself for whatever punishment he decided on. She had 'applied to be slave'. She had to bear any and all tortures he wanted her to without the smallest complaint. She was at the Demon's non-existent mercy, as she knew she would be when she had decided to come back.

So it was a little strange when Neuro didn't do anything. He didn't loosen his grip, but he didn't move to drag Yako anywhere, either.

For almost a full minute, the Demon just sat there, staring at her.

Then, slowly, lightly, Neuro moved closer. Closer. Closer. Until his mouth was almost touching Yako's, but not quite. She could feel the heat of his breath, but the nearness of his skin seemed to give off a cooler feeling than a Human's.

Yako couldn't remember if his skin was usually so cold. She couldn't remember if her own skin usually felt so hot. She couldn't remember anything. Her every thought was riveted to face before her own. Neuro's gaze was everything at that moment. It was like falling into a deep, dark hole lined with emeralds. Never seeing the bottom, fearing touching down, while taking some insane thrill from the fall.

And then it was over.

Neuro turned away, and Yako flew out of the deep and back to her senses.

She had honestly been anticipating a kiss. Ever since he had first found enjoyment from the action, the Demon had become accustomed to kissing her a couple times a day. When she had withdrawn from him, it had diminished. When she had left, it had naturally stopped entirely. Maybe the habit had caused her brain to simply expect a kiss when he was that close. That was probably all it was.

There shouldn't have been any sort of twinge of disappointment or embarrassment at not being kissed.

There still was.

As Neuro let go of her wrist and got back on his feet, Yako and tried to grasp the rational thought that had somehow escaped her. While she gently massaged her wrist forlornly, she was sure she would find bruises at a later time, she was completely lost on what had just passed between them.

There hadn't been just anger in Neuro's eyes, but a peculiar searching look. As if he was observing something he didn't know anything about, or simply scanning for something he had suddenly caught note of, only to lose interest in it. But after her loss of thought about touching his hair, Yako didn't feel entirely inclined to question him.

The Demon suddenly spun around, facing her with a bright smile that reminded the girl of aged marshmallow sculptures: Pleasing to look at, not that enjoyable to eat. In fact, you were afraid to eat it, because you knew it was bad for your health.

"Hey, Yako! Let's play darts!"

**~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~**

With a hard strike to the face, Yako shrieked as she was unexpectedly brought back to consciousness.

For a quick moment, she didn't know what was happening. Everything was shaking and racing past her so rapidly she thought she was in the middle of a hurricane. But then she saw Neuro nonchalantly toss out the branch he had hit her with, and she remembered.

They had gone after SICKS and XI. First cornering them at the New Bloodline's Safe House, then at some abandoned amusement park. Neuro's Demonic power had long since reached a critical stage, but the assault from the parent and child, SICKS' and XI's power was absurd. It was impossible.

It was the first time Yako had ever really seen Neuro at the mercy of anyone.

But while he had been on the defensive, Neuro had summoned one of his Tools and caught Yako in another sadistic trap. With his well-known grin on his face—even buried beneath a mountain of metal, he could still smile like that!—the Demon had sent her flying far outside the theme park. She hit her head when she landed in the back of Godai-san's truck and must have lost consciousness.

She was glad her skull hadn't been smashed in. Feeling her new injury on the left side of her face, she wondered if she now had matching bruises. She vaguely noted that Neuro's slap from earlier was still hotter than his most recent attack, but was pleased knowing that it wasn't anything she wouldn't recover from. Looking to the battered Demon sitting beside her, Yako felt slightly more thankful that they were both still alive. But seeing the black car close behind them, her relief was short-lived.

"They are now pursuing us because of what I said to them after I saved you," Neuro explained, feeling inclined to bring her up to speed. "And now we must deal with them when they catch us. This was all a part my plan."

"Plan?" Yako blinked up at him as she tried to sit up right, but the violent bouncing of the truck made it difficult. The odor of gasoline, as well as Neuro's blood made her feel a little queasy, but she did her best to settle her stomach. She really hated throwing up, mostly because it wasted any food she ate at the time. At this point, she just didn't want to look any worse in front of Neuro.

"It seems that XI has the ability to read Human minds," Neuro said. "So the details of my plan cannot be disclosed. However…" He paused and pointed his middle finger at her, "As my plan dictates, they will now attack _you_."

Yako didn't blink. Nor did she do a double-take. His words immediately sank in, and she could hardly believe it. Why would SICKS and XI come after _her_? She was hardly threatening. She was just an ordinary Human! "What are you saying? Why?"

For a while, Neuro didn't answer her. He just stared at her intently. While not as intensely as that moment in the officer earlier, his gaze still scrutinized her shrewdly. And then, he suddenly smiled, as if he had just remembered a really funny joke. He chuckled lightly, though the act seemed to aggravate his injuries and he leaned back to relax.

And then it occurred to her, at the sight of that smile, that Neuro had told them something to instigate their attack on her. As he had said before, it was his plan for them to target her. He intended for them to go after her.

"You're going to _let_ them attack me?" Yako hoped this was some sadistic joke. Something to scare her in the ongoing punishment for her leaving him before. But she knew in her trembling heart that he was not teasing. "WHY!"

"You should understand by now," Neuro breathed a sigh, his smile softening. "When do I bring you along? When do I keep you at my side?"

Yako's initial thought was 'Always!' Ever since they had first met, he had dragged her to any number of places to play the role of Detective and act as a front to deter any suspicion. He had once mentioned that he couldn't attract attention to himself; that being a Demon in the Human World, there were actually rules that he had to follow. The 'only times' he brought her along were just about always, whether it was a regular Puzzle or even laying siege to an enemy fortress, because he usually needed her to understand what he couldn't.

Yako stopped. Some sort of epiphany striking her brain like lightning. Always. Regular, everyday cases; bigger incidents like the HAL case; even just dealings with Humans on a daily basis. Remembering all that, she found her answer:

"When…you need my strength."

The Demon's smile broadened, pleased with her reply, before returning to the real point. "It is without a doubt, if I were to fight them the way I am right now, there is no way I can win."

Yako wondered if it hurt for him to admit that. She had already realized, back at the amusement park—long before that even—that Neuro's condition had deteriorated to the point that SICKS, who was already a thousand times more powerful than an ordinary Human, could easily deal with him. She wished she could have believed otherwise; she wished she could have been able to overcome that fear. But even though she managed to rise above her fear of his anger and offer everything she had to the Demon, Yako could not deny the truth.

She was willing to believe it was worse for Neuro himself.

"At the right moment, the two of us will split up," he went on with his plan, his voice as steady as ever. "SICKS will come after me, and XI will go to kill you. Knowing SICKS' personality, he will not plan it any differently."

Yako could believe that.

"When that happens…" Neuro breathed, "I. Will. Stop. Protecting. You."

She looked at his pale face, almost desperate for some sort of reassurance, some secret in his words. But he only looked back the way they had come, beyond the trees they left behind them.

"Understand? You will deal with XI." His profile was composed, his eyes were wide open, but while his skin showed no signs of breaking—aside from the cuts and bruises he had suffered from SICKS' attack before—something about him struck her as fatigued.

"I'm going to—" Just saying it was impossible. But Neuro needed her to do it; in his current condition, he couldn't possibly hope to handle both SICKS and XI. She wanted to help him. "What should I do?"

"It doesn't matter who XI becomes, inside or out," Neuro sighed as he shifted around, attempting to get even a little more comfortable amidst the shaking vehicle. "Theoretically speaking, she can still return to her previous form of 'Kaitou X'."

This information actually made Yako's heart skip a beat. Kaitou X, the Ruler of the Red Boxes. He still existed?

"All that is needed is the 'Self'," he went on, perhaps following her thoughts. "Once he regains himself as X, XI should become helpless."

Something about this sounded familiar…

That's right. X himself had said something similar, when he had kidnapped her. **"**_I've always been uneasy. Not knowing who I am inside is like…floating in space. I want to get rid of that feeling as soon as I can. That long, long time that I've been without… Everything is all so I can go back to who I should be._**"**

And back at the amusement park, XI had told her. **"**_From the day I was created to now, these past seventeen years, I have finally found a purpose for my life. And that is to help my Papa when the need arises. Besides that, I have no reason to act._**"**

It was so close to Kaitou X's ambition, but totally off the mark.

"Of course," Neuro snapped Yako back to the present, "all of this is just theory. Not even I have any definite evidence. But…"

He stopped, and looked at her. He didn't just give her some attention or regard. He really looked at her, like he had back at the Office. But this time there wasn't any searching in his gaze; this time, he was certain of what he saw.

"I believe that you can do it."

Yako felt every taut nerve unwind, every defense drop, every thought go silent under his clear gaze. And it was then, in that moment of tranquility amidst chaos, for the very first time, that Neuro and Yako spoke with just their eyes.

It wasn't that there were really any words, no transmission of thought or anything like that. Yako just understood. She just knew what Neuro wanted her to know.

Neuro believed in her. Neuro _believed_ in her. _Neuro_ believed in _Her_.

She felt weightless. She felt grounded. She felt giddy. She felt resolute. She felt terrified. She felt brave. She felt a hundred million things at once that she couldn't even name.

A sudden touch brought Yako back. And she stared at the black-gloved hand resting on her knee in astonishment.

"Can you do it?" He smiled, his tone even but without command. "Yako?"

He said her name. For the first time since she had come back, he said her name with utmost confidence.

Seeing the smile on his face, he was clearly anticipating her answer.

Yako couldn't help smiling herself as she rested her own hand on Neuro's blue-clad knee. "I'll try!"

"Good," Neuro nodded, letting his gaze wander, content with her reply. But Yako could feel him start to tense, anticipating something. "The enemy is almost tired of driving…"

A chill ran up her spine. A strange smell filled the air as a shadow fell over them. But before Yako could look up to see what it was, Neuro caught her by the back of her shirt, raised her up and threw her out of the truck and into the trees.

The sound of something very large hitting the ground, of metal breaking into pieces, and the snap of tree branches as she fell were all Yako could fathom. But after touching down, she quickly scrambled back to her feet and ran. There were no roads, no trails or anything for her to follow through the thick mess of trees. So she just ran, and ran, and ran, far from where Neuro waited for SICKS.

She couldn't say how far or how long she ran, but it wasn't until she broke through the trees and found herself in a broad clearing that she slowed to a stop and caught her breath. It wasn't a perfect circle, like movies or TV usually made clearings out to be; there were still trees and bushes spread here and there, making it more of a lightning bolt shape. But Yako could see the sky overhead and feel the wind rushing past her, and it was here she would wait.

It had already been dark when she and Neuro had set out before. Now, the sky was almost black without the presence of the moon overhead. Without the lights of streetlamps or buildings, she was left in the gloom of night. But the stars were much clearer than normal, winking through the vast darkness of space, watching her.

XI was coming to kill her. When they faced each other again, they would fight. But whatever Yako could think up would be pointless, because XI could read minds. She could take the form of any number of people, change her very fingers into any weapon she needed for the kill.

And yet…

She couldn't explain it, but she didn't feel defeated. She felt… Ready? Confidant? No, that wasn't right. At ease was closer, but—

Serene.

Yako felt her heart beating hard in her chest from her run, as well as the simple rush of adrenaline that came from fleeing for your life. But really, she didn't feel scared. From the bottom of her heart, she didn't feel defeat, or fear, or anxiety, or anything but the quiet serenity of simply waiting for her opponent.

But a certain voice, a voice she had long since feared and admired, a voice she could never mistake for anyone else, honestly shocked her.

"Yako."

She turned at her name, at the voice speaking her name, and stared at the injured Demon standing among the trees. "Neuro!"

But…

"The splitting-up plan failed…" Neuro sighed, as if he had only experienced a minor set-back. The way he usually did when something came out of the blue. But he still kept his cool. His arms were away from his sides, but his long fingers were not clenched into fists. Neuro was never stressed. He almost never lost that infuriating smile, even in a genuine life or death situation like this.

But…

"However, I've thought up a plan that will weaken XI…" He left the trees, glancing back to make sure no one was coming after him. His injuries had yet to close, his blood making an unpleasant color as it seeped through his perfect-blue suit. It made sense that he would want to avoid a serious hit, though Yako highly doubted that he could ever really be caught by surprise at a time like this.

But…

He looked back at her as he stepped toward her, his obsidian-emerald gaze meeting her dark-brown squarely. The wind had caught his green-blond hair, and his remaining hair beads caught what little light existed. "For the time being, let's escape."

"You're not Neuro."

Dead silence.

Perfect stillness.

The Neuro before her wore an expression identical to when she and the Demon had first kissed by accident. Their second kiss by record, that was the only time Yako had ever seen that level shock on the Demon's face. It made him look younger, almost like a kid who had been caught by surprise by rules in the middle of a completely different game.

It had been surprisingly easy for Yako to see and say the truth. The tranquility in her heart had been taken aback by the Demon's sudden appearance, but it had not left even for a second. Like when she had figured out that Aya-san was the killer of her own friends, Yako could not see it any other way.

She had to admit, however, "…It's perfect. No matter how I look at you, I see Neuro. His signs, his gestures…" _'His voice.' _"Even his injuries look like the genuine article." Just like when she had taken Yako's form, she was Yako.

"But that Neuro—" _'My Neuro,'_ "—said he 'believed' in me," Yako's voice was steady, reflecting the calm the flowed through her heart. "You…can never understand the extent of that. Neuro believes in me so much more than that."

That was what had hurt so much when she had left him. She knew she had lost that trust, and was certain she would never get it back. And while the trust between them had certainly been hurt because of her weakness, she had been floored to learn that it had not been destroyed. Realizing that he believed in her more than she actually understood, she felt happy; she felt brave; she felt like her feet were finally touching the ground.

"So you, the one to come looking for me, must be a copy," Yako declared firmly. "You are a fake."

The change that took place was gruesome. Skin and hair changed color, strands lengthened, bone and muscle shifted and was remolded. It reminded Yako of when Neuro's face changed between his more Human one and the Demonic bird. The tall, blue-clad body remained, but the shoulders and face became that of a pale, dark-eyed girl with flowing curls of black hair. XI now looked only vaguely surprised by Yako's having seen through her disguise, but the Human girl was sure the shock she had seen on 'Neuro's' face before was not an act.

And now, Yako's battle began.

"The meaning of your existence… You think it's to be useful to SICKS, right?" No point in beating around the bush. Yako's only choice was to dive right into the fight. "But as of now, instead of being useful, you've been pulled away from important matters so you won't get in the way."

XI didn't flinch, but her dark eyes narrowed, showing signs of anger. Or at the very least, annoyance. "What are you trying to say?"

"Surely, you can read the thoughts of a simple high school girl, can't you?" It's not as if she had many deep thoughts. "But after countless experiences, I'm certain of one thing—it isn't possible to read the human mind in the blink of an eye. Even for the biggest geniuses—"_ ' Human or otherwise,' _"—it's impossible. The brain is just that complex."

Yako breathed in the night air, thinking even as she spoke. She knew what she wanted to say. She knew what she needed to do.

"For a thin brain that has recently awakened, it's even more difficult to understand. So, the reason for your mind reading—"

"Shut up!"

It was sudden. XI's face gave no sign of having reached her limit until the last second. But the branch she had casually been resting one hand on was suddenly broken off like it was little more than a dry twig, and hurled at Yako with the force of a speeding train.

But after being hit by staplers, pens, coffee mugs, and various other objects by Neuro, XI's shot seemed almost slow. Yako actually stepped out of the way faster than she thought she could. However, not fast enough as the branch cut into her shoulder as it flew by and fell to the ground behind her.

Even so, in spite of the torture the Demon put her through day by day, the shock of her injury and the steadily flowing blood that stained her shirt made her double over. Neuro had certainly done quite a job in his training, but Yako was honestly surprised when she realized that he had never actually hurt her this badly. Not once had Neuro been responsible for spilling her blood.

It was almost funny.

"Your boasting is pointless!" XI yelled—actually yelled!—as she looked at Yako with anger in her usually empty eyes and crossed the space between them. "Just use the power that Neuro hid in you! I'll seal it! I'll kill you! And then I'll return to Papa's side!"

XI had been disturbed by Yako's words. She had been shaken from her usual impassive standing and was actually moved to act in defense of her own personal indignation.

It was the only chink that Yako needed. Quickly trouncing her pain, she reached out and caught XI's hands in her own. The action and the sudden contact made the ebony-haired girl's face freeze before hers.

"Don't be afraid," Yako said soothingly, raising her serene gaze to her opponent's shocked one. "Neuro won't come. Right here, right now, it's just you and it's just me. We're the only ones here."

Maybe it was the astonishment that a mere human girl would stand firm before her, even touch her that kept XI immobile in Yako's grasp. Maybe it was the pride she felt she should uphold and not be intimidated by her prey. Whatever it was, the Child of SICKS didn't attempt to pull away from her.

Yako was oddly comforted to feel the warmth of her enemy's hands in her own. Actually, with XI's hands shaped into Neuro's gloved ones at that moment, the high school girl recalled the feeling of holding his hand in place so that it would reattach to his arm properly. Or, much more recently, his hand on her knee.

She felt stronger because of it.

"Just now…you read my most fearful memories and transformed into criminals from my past," she said gently. "However, there was one person you did not change into." Yako looked her opponent straight in the eye, searching. "You avoided transforming into one culprit in particular, even though he's the one that I fear the most."

She felt XI's body rise ever so slightly. The first sign of resistance, but still she didn't pull away.

"The reason for you avoiding is simple, XI…" She stopped. "No. _**X**_."

A tremble. A light gasp.

"You were afraid. You were afraid of realizing your true self. If you realized your past self, the you of the last seventeen years, you might lose the self you only recently obtained. You were afraid."

It was a fear Yako honestly understood. It was something she feared more than anything. It was something that strangely connected her to this weird and wonderful creature standing before her.

"Afraid…?" The Child almost scoffed, but her tone was all brisk and no bristle. "As if my present self is afraid of anything!"

"If that's the case…" Yako gripped her opponent's hands and raised them to eyelevel. "I'll _let_ you read my mind. Properly!"

Another tremble.

"Your past self exists in my brain," she said, firm but calm. "Without both your past and present selves, how can you say you've obtained a true and natural form?"

Yako could feel a strange pressure, a swell of emotion between her and her adversary. XI was holding back. Her limit was little more than a weakened thread. Just one more push.

"If you don't want to be imperfect, observe my brain." It was a dare. It was a challenge. It was all that she needed.

Pressing her warm, dry fingers to Yako's sweating forehead, the young detective allowed her eyes to drift closed. She was completely defenseless to the new, shadowy presence within the tunnels of her mind. She was unable to do more than receive the monster as it crossed the threshold.

**~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~**

Yako could neither see nor hear. She was blind and deaf, locked within herself and unaware of anything outside. But in that peculiar soundless dark, she felt more conscious of herself, everything made more sense than ever before. It was exhilarating and terrifying.

XI was with her, so close she seemed to be a part of her. She felt connected. It was strange to bare yourself to someone you feared and hated. Yet here, in this darkness, there was no apprehension at all. There was only the two of them, amidst the tumult of Yako's brain.

Yet in the middle of that disarray, Yako was in complete control of herself. In this shadowy place, all illusion was burned away. No lies, no denial, no secrets existed here. Only truth, every truth, was clear to her. She understood what had to be done. She knew what needed to be said.

Yako tried to think, and remember what she could about Phantom Thief X. And in doing so, ultimately, inevitably, she remembered that One. The woman who knew X, who had been closer to X than anyone ever could. Even during that short time Yako had been kidnapped, and became as much X's double as X had become hers, Yako could never be as close to the Thief as that One.

She was gentle and patient. She was kind and indulgent. She was clever and strangely honest about her wants and wishes, even as she remained subservient to his every whim. She loved X, the X she had met that first day, and she never let him forget it.

The cacophony of emotion Yako felt from her adversary towards this One—understanding, confusion, panic, respect, childish possessiveness, adoration, comfort, loss…

…Echoed within her for another One.

He was nothing like X's One. He was a polar opposite, if anything. He was calculating and cruel. He was mean and selfish. He was dangerous and compelling. He was brilliant and crazy. The worst part was that he knew it, relished in it, and he never let her forget it.

These two were very different, and very, very important. They made things work. They made the days matter. They were as necessary as air. They were as vital as blood. They didn't need words to communicate or understand. X and Yako were who they were, because of these people. The two of them mutually needed the other to exist. Without them…how could they say they were whole?

Yet, at the same time, the changes they made, the pieces they left behind, would never fade away. A part of them would always resonate from deep within, reminding them of everything they had accomplished and planned. Even if they disappeared, leaving not even a strand of hair behind them, the impression they had created was far too deep to fill.

They were. . .important.

That's all that mattered.

**~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~**

Yako's vision cleared.

She had done all she could.

Trembling hands drew away.

Was the person before her X or XI?

A terrible smile full of teeth split the pale, pretty face.

Yako felt a sudden pain.

Everything was swallowed in blackness once again.

**~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~**

Little by little, Yako's world returned.

First was the stinging pain from both her cheeks. She remembered that Neuro had struck her on the right before. _Who had hit her on the left? _Then came the gentle prickle of the sweet smelling grass beneath her.

She heard voices. One cold and amused. Another, uninterested and placid. They spoke, but she couldn't recognize any words or make any sense of it yet. A sudden outcry of pain startled her. Choking. She smelled the familiar odor of blood, though there was something unusual about it.

Then another voice, familiar, frightening in its almost childlike cruelty, made her open her eyes and see him.

The only person she feared as much than Neuro. The only person she wanted to understand as much as Neuro.

"I am Human," the pale, pretty boy declared. "I am two people, two as one. Phantom Thief, X."

Yako barely had time to process a bizarre sense of terrified relief upon seeing him again, before there was a sudden explosion from within his chest that sent blood everywhere. Yet the thief didn't seem like he was in agony. Not even when his 'Father' cut him down with a very large sword. X's expression was more of surprise than actual pain as he hit the ground right beside Yako.

SICKS, on the other hand, was in obvious pain. His skin warped, churned and bubbled as it shifted between his regular paleness to the metallic sheen from before. His arms, his face and what she could see of his chest was a complete mess. But as unpleasant as it was to behold, it looked far more excruciating to bear.

Yako wondered if she should have felt some sort of satisfaction knowing that their enemy was in pain. At that moment, she couldn't really process any feeling at all. Not even when the wind suddenly picked up, shaking the trees and threatening to snap them to pieces. A piercing noise, like a constant scream engulfed in deafening roar was the only warning Yako had before several gunshots were fired off at Neuro.

She looked up and the already black sky was blocked by an enormous plane that was all sleek steel and sharp edges. She couldn't remember what it was called exactly, but she did remember seeing it once on one of those advanced military technology shows.

The howl of engines and the intense winds stirred up from the aircraft pushed Yako hard against the ground. But she raised herself up as much as she could, just in time to see SICKS catch hold of a ladder trailing behind the plane and speed away into the night.

Within that one minute that Yako had regained consciousness, their circumstances had changed and the status quo had shifted dramatically.

X had returned to himself and severely injured SICKS.

SICKS had cut down his 'child' and fled before any more damage could be dealt.

Neuro—

Looking up, Yako found her Demon bleeding much more rigorously than before. He was bent slightly in pain, and she could hear the harshness of his breathing, but he looked after the now distant aircraft with a calculating emerald gaze.

In spite of his wounds, he was still planning to win this fight.

Unable to find the strength to get up off the ground, Yako sat back to collect herself. Her ears were ringing. She felt the bow slip from the collar of her shirt, but didn't bother to pick it up again. With her uniform torn and stained blood, she would probably have to live off her summer uniform until she could replace it. Overall, she was a mess.

But still, she felt the same perfect clarity from when she faced XI down. The wind in the trees settled into her thoughts and she felt somehow transparent.

Yako focused on the pair of blue-clad legs before her—she had always thought the fabric of Neuro's clothes was the most perfect shade of blue. Looking at it now, torn and blood-stained as her own were, she wondered why it looked so much more stunning than before.

"Neuro…" She paused. The sound of her own voice seemed so unfamiliar compared to the one she had used when seeking out X within her mind. X, who lay broken on the ground beside her. Dead? She couldn't be sure. "Was this…good enough…?"

The Demon slowly reached up and began pulling off the last few hair beads he had left, not turning to look at her.

"Yako—" He stopped. "No. I should call you '_Human_'."

Yako wondered if he was going to stop using her name again with some disappointment. But something in the way he said 'Human' was oddly positive, almost encouraging. Something else in his voice felt like he was trying to address her as impartially as possible.

The triangular beads—seven in total—all broke, shattering into sand as they ignited a blue-green flame. The blaze engulfed the Demon and Yako saw all the cuts and bruises on his face close and fade away under the influence of his reserved power.

"The Batteries brought here from the Demon world, these are it," Neuro said, almost amused as he watched his wounds heal. "Therefore, to continue working up here in the Human World, will become very difficult for me. But even so, right now, I have to land one more hit."

He didn't look at her. Not the slightest glance was sent in her direction. Slipping out of his jacket and dropping it to grass, Neuro's only focus was going after his enemy.

"If I let him escape now, there won't be another chance," he surmised. "If that man continues to exist, at any moment, the number of remaining Humans here will continue to drop. I need to get rid of him to protect my food source."

Food. That was all that mattered to Neuro. That was all he looked to protect. Nothing more.

But then Neuro turned, finally meeting Yako's eyes with his own. And he smiled. The only other time she had seen such a gentle expression on the Demon's face was while he was sleeping. But at that moment he was wide awake, looking at her with a fond, truly grateful gaze.

"Humans have worked hard for me," he smiled. The Hellfire took on the shape of something like a wasp, or maybe a moth, and wound around his arms and shoulders. "So now, I will pull out the 'sick root'."

And with that, he shot off into the sky, breaking through the sound barrier in pursuit of his adversary. Tall grass and branches from surrounding trees were ripped up or broken from the wind he stirred up. It took a long while for the air to go still again. Finally, she felt strength return to her legs and she stood up, taking a few steps to where his jacket had fallen. Yako already knew she wouldn't be able to, the sky being so black and the Demon so much faster than before, but she still tried to see him disappear into the dark horizon.

From here on, Yako could not be a part of the fight. That battleground was one only Neuro could reach.

Picking the beaten, bloody jacket up off the ground, Yako felt the traces of residual warmth seep out around her fingers. She had held the blue coat before; just after his fight with Tierra, Neuro had passed it to her to hang up while he changed clothes. It hadn't been damaged the same way Human clothes tended to be. There were holes, but also cracks and it exuded a peculiar smoke from every wound. Yako had wondered if the clothing was actually a living thing, especially when she found the jacket perfectly mended after a few days. Just like him.

Yako would worry, but she had faith in him.

He was impossible to discourage. Very little was capable of preventing him from doing whatever he want, even his own weakening condition. If he wanted something done, he would make it happen, one way or another. It was another part of the Demon that had intrigued Yako. Another piece of his personality, another aspect of his evil charm that attracted—

Attracted?

Yako could vaguely recall saying something like that once.

When?

Why?

"_As all Humans are the producers of my food, every one of them is a valuable pawn,_**"** were Neuro's words back then. ** "**_Only I know the value that exists beneath all of you._**"**

Back when she and X were each other's twin.

"_Yes… That's why I…am attracted to you…_**"** They had replied.

Attracted.

Intrigued.

Charmed.

She liked him.

Yako liked Neuro.

Katsuragi Yako was in love with Nougami Neuro.

And all she could think was…

'_Oh, boy. Dad, I might be in trouble…'_

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**~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~**

SHEESH! Did this take forever!

I'm sorry, I was hoping to put some NeuYako action into this chapter, but it came out without hardly any at all. I also worry that I may have brushed X off to one side; I didn't want to, but I couldn't fit him in any more than that.

I'm so sorry that this took so long, and that I may have produced another lame chapter. I know that a lot of you have been waiting anxiously for an update, so I hope I haven't disappointed too badly. There have also been reviews where some of you are hoping for lemons. I am hoping to have a love scene, but I must warn you not to expect anything too graphic. I tried, but have come to terms with the fact that I am utterly incapable of doing anything seriously hardcore.

I hope to have **Chapter 06: Conquest** up soon. I will try to work fast so that you are not waiting for forever. Thank you all so very much for your reviews.


	6. Conquest - Winning of Favor

_Hello, fellow bronies and pegasisters!_

_Thank you, everybody, for all your reviews for Chapter 05. I'm glad I didn't disappoint_

**06 -**

"**Conquest" [The Winning of Favor]**

The sigh of the sea against the sand.

The dark sky overhead turning pale.

Neuro could not move. He was tired, honestly exhausted. Even his brain felt sluggish, which was a very bizarre sensation. Even back in Hell, even when he was a child, his brain was his most powerful weapon because this thoughts could go anywhere at any speed. Now, everything seemed slow and strained.

Someone—Higuchi had come with other Humans. Found him. Brought him here.

A voice. He heard a voice. A familiar voice. The voice of a worthy adversary.

Sitting himself down on the beach beside the Demon, Higuchi explained everything. That a call from Yako had brought him to Neuro's rescue. (He felt a brush of amusement at this news. How like his little Human to still try to be a part of the fight when she wasn't even on the battlefield.) Also what sort of technology had enabled the rescue team to find him, and just who had made it.

Higuchi told him all of this, his dark eyes looking out at the sea or down at the sand. Not really expecting a response or really caring if Neuro gave one, he simply wanted to voice his thoughts. "Feels almost like destiny or something, doesn't it? For both of us."

That voice from before, the witty nickname given to him by a certain person…

It was nothing.

Higuchi. The system. The team of humans. The helicopter they flew in. The man who made the system. And Yako, who called for help.

Things fall into place, either by convenience or inevitability. 'Destiny' was just a fancy word for matters like that.

"Humans saved my life," Neuro smiled softly. "That's all it was."

Neuro didn't enjoy the thought of destiny or fate. He never had. The idea that some force had his entire existence planned out to his last breath was hardly agreeable. The notion that he was set with all that he could achieve was even less so. He did whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted, however he wanted.

He wanted to Eat, so he broke through to the Human world. He wanted to protect his multitude of Puzzles, so he fought and killed his enemy.

The reason why a creature of Hell had acted without thinking about the consequences, why he had gone so far to protect the already brief lives of Humans…

He liked Humans. With all their individual flaws, failures, innate talents and never-ending possibilities. Having all of that end and fade away was nothing he wanted to see. That's all.

So Neuro lay there, content to watch the sky change color and just listen—much like Mother often told him to. The waves meeting the shore. The wind blowing across him. The shuffle of little life forms moving within or across the sand. The distant hum of bigger small life forms elsewhere, moving closer or farther away. Even just the pulse of the ground beneath him.

It was all still here.

His food source was safe.

He was pleased. With himself and with his Humans.

In his current state, he knew he was incapable of much movement, but he felt the unrelenting need to do _something_ in celebration to his victory over SICKS and his New Bloodline. He just had to formulate something that would be satisfying without exerting too much stress on his weakened frame.

"HIGUCHI-SAAAAAAN! NEEEEUUUURRROOOOOOO!"

Both turned their heads to look up the beach to see a certain y0ung woman in a too-big red shirt, jumping up and down, waving her arms like a turkey in the rain.

"Yako…"

"Yo! Katsuragi!" Higuchi stood up, returning her wave as she and Godai hurried across the sand.

Yako stumbled and almost fell once, but she caught herself and soon slid to a stop beside the exhausted Demon. Her relief at finding him alive was swiftly replaced with alarm at his physical state. She had never seen him look even half this bad! His deathly pale skin was littered with cuts and cracks like broken plaster. His green-yellow hair, even his black bangs had turned ashy gray and looked unbelievably brittle.

"Oh, Neuro! Your _hair_!"

The Demon looked up at her through half-lidded eyes, and she could see even the green of his eyes was almost entirely engulfed by the black. Yet still, he managed a soft smile—though his sharp teeth didn't show—and met her gaze squarely.

"My body has suffered multiple bone fractures, countless muscle contusions, some internal bleeding, and I've crashed a plane into the Pacific Ocean," he said smoothly. "And you're concern is for my hair?"

Yako could have left it at that, as he still had enough attitude to put most of her worries to rest, she didn't have to worry. But after the past few hours, the fight and flight, XI and X and SICKS, Neuro, and _everything_, she was just a little too tired to care about holding back.

"I liked your stupid hair!"

The confession was hardly profound or as brutal as her acknowledging her feelings for the Hell Spawn, but both Godai and Higuchi—who had just started to introduce themselves to one another—stared at the girl with wide, dark eyes. The Police Detective actually covered his mouth in an effort to hide his smile and withhold a chuckle. The Yakuza, however, worried his pierced lip as he waited for whatever the Monster might dish out to the Detective.

Neuro also stared, tired eyes wide at Yako's declaration, and she met his stare with a tired glare and pinched lip. The Demon's quiet smile returned, though the young woman saw the faint glimmer of glee in the dark of his eyes. Was he laughing at her? Because she admitted to liking his hair? Because she yelled at him?

Really, it was because he decided what to do in celebration of his victory.

"Yako…" Neuro spoke softly, his tone heavy with sleep. "I will not likely be moving for a long while. In point of fact…I will be sleeping to recuperate as much as possible. True to your word, you will obey my every order without complaint."

"Yes…" Yako nodded, not sure if she should be worried or not. But she had made her promise to him, and she had already failed to keep her tears in check back with X, so she felt determined to do this right.

"Come closer…"

Yako scooted closer to the Demon.

"Closer…"

She leaned forward.

"Closer, Yako…"

She took a deep breath and leaned down, her face now mere centimeters from Neuro's. The Demon's breath was soft and cold.

"I'm very tired right now, so don't fight me."

Before Yako could try to comprehend his words, she felt Neuro's left hand catch her head, while his right caught her arm and she was pulled down to meet his mouth.

Yako's immediate response was to push herself away, and her hands hit the sand to do just that. But she immediately stopped herself, remembering his order for her not to fight, and she could only close her eyes and accept him.

Yako didn't hug him, but she let her hands roam to Neuro's face. She could actually feel the fractures in his pale, cold skin. Her fingers barely brushed the ends of his hair, but the strands felt weak and dry. Her eyes stung at how done in he must be.

But while the Demon was most certainly worn out, he seemed to put all of his remaining strength into this thorough kiss. She felt his cool breath as his tongue moved gently in her mouth, touching, tasting, marking everywhere. It had been so long since that time in her bedroom, so long since just his last mischievous kiss, Yako couldn't help the small noises that rose up in her throat. Her whines and moans hummed through their joined lips and Neuro swallowed them with glee.

Neuro didn't have to breathe oxygen, but he drew back just enough to allow Yako to do so. She allowed herself a deep breath, and paused when she felt that the Demon's lips had become warmer through their contact. She had helped to make him warmer. Though he was so very depleted, he was still very much alive.

They were alive. They had made it. They had won.

That thought, that relief, was enough to encourage Yako to let some of her reserve slide. She closed the slight gap between then, tentatively reaching out to brush Neuro's tongue with her own. The Demon jerked just slightly, staring back into Yako's own tired gaze with interest and amusement.

She felt him smile against her mouth before he released her, slowly laid back down and closed his eyes. Everything about him relaxed completely and Yako knew he was asleep.

Yako sat back on her legs, using the long sleeve of the red shirt Godai had lent her to wipe her mouth. Her chest felt tight, yet fluttery. Her stomach was in dire need of a something to eat, but she was honestly satisfied with just sitting there and enjoying the salty breeze off the sea. Hopefully, it would help to cool her burning cheeks.

Suddenly, feeling very aware of Higuchi and Godai, she turned to find them gaping at her. Though in Godai's case, he looked absolutely shell-shocked, Higuchi's face held a trace of mirth at what they had just seen pass between the Demon and his Human.

Yako felt every inch of her skin burn red.

"STOP LAUGHING AT ME IN YOUR HEADS!"

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The cab ride to the office was an interesting, albeit quiet one. Yako was exhausted, her bones ached and her injuries stung, and she just wanted to sleep for days. The driver had been concerned enough about her as well as Neuro to ask if they needed to head to the hospital, was surprised and confused when they said no, but still drove them without complaint.

Arriving back at the building, it was late morning. Feeling as thin as paper, Yako helped Godai carry Neuro from the cab.

"You gonna help, or what?" Godai sent a look back at Higuchi, who still sat in the car.

"I'll say, 'Or What', this time," the Hacker smiled with a small wink. "I've been out of contact for a few hours now. I've gotta get back before Usui notices, and I've got some work ahead in altering certain records. It's best if we part ways here."

It was then that Yako, without caring how he might react or who might be looking, wrapped her arms around Higuchi and held him tight. "Thank you SO much, Higuchi-san! Thank you for everything you did!"

The dark-haired young man stiffened and blinked over her shoulder, meeting Godai's shrug. Higuchi couldn't say he had ever been held like this before, and when he thought about it, he had never seen Yako do anything like this before either.

As bighearted and as sweet as Katsuragi Yako could be, she had never gone as far as to actually touch anyone beyond a handshake before. In that way, perhaps, she had managed to keep herself separate from everything that went on around her. Whatever it was, the wall had been breached and she had stepped outside for maybe the first time since her Father's murder.

A little embarrassed and a little uncomfortable, Higuchi reached up and pat her back as kindly as he possibly could. "You're…very welcome, Katsuragi."

Prying himself away from the girl's embrace, Higuchi had the cab driver take him away, and Yako happily waved after him before rushing to help Godai take Neuro inside.

For constantly mocking the gravity that all Humans were forced to obey, Neuro was certainly heavy. Though, in all honesty, it was his height that proved more of a problem; he felt so thin and empty, like sea shell dried up high on the beach. All the same, with more gratitude to the elevator than ever before, they carried the Demon back to the one office more organized and stylish than any other room in the whole building.

Laying the ashy-haired Hell Spawn across one sofa, Godai heaved a sigh of relief. "Holy Mother of—If that freak ever tries to use this against me, I'm gonna—I'm…"

He trailed off, likely because he never could actually think of some retaliation or comeback for anything Neuro did.

"Ah, fuck it, I'm tired," he said with a stretch. "And from today on, I quit smoking. Surviving all this shit, I'm not taking any more chances with that crap!"

"Good for you, Godai-san," Yako smiled. She swayed a little on her feet, and felt similar to an empty paper cup. But she was happy and wouldn't let something as silly as fatigue get the best of her. "We should…change Neuro's clothes. He's a total mess…He has some clothes in a duffle bag downstairs."

"It's a plan at least," the bleach-blond nodded. "You stay here and clean him up. I'll go get that stupid bag."

Yako couldn't say when Godai left the room, but upon processing the course of action, she set to filling a bowl with hot water and finding a clean washcloth. Returning to the Demon's side, she proceeded to clean the dirt and soot from his face. It was almost like dusting a statue. She felt the breaks all along his pale skin, but couldn't say she came across any blood.

His breathing was slow, too. His breath was usually much softer than when a regular person was asleep, and it was even more so now. But it was also oddly strained. Listening closer, Yako could hear some sort of pain with each inhalation.

Maybe his lungs had been hurt. She had no idea what SICKS had done to him up there, or what Neuro had done in return. But he was certainly in dire need of rest.

Leaning close, Yako did her best to make sure he kept on breathing. Actually fearful that if she looked away for even moment, he might stop.

In. Out. In. Out. In. Out. In. Out. In. Out. In. Out.

Of course as a Demon, he didn't actually breathe oxygen, but rather miasma. Maybe his body was even more strained in that sense. There was that black scarf he had left in Troy. She thought about getting it and bringing to the unconscious Neuro.

In. Out. In. Out. In. Out. In. Out.

But maybe after just a moment. Just a quick second to catch her own breath.

In. Out. In. Out. In.

She would wait just half a minute before getting up again. Just a minute.

Out. In. Out. In.

By the time Godai returned with the spare clothes Neuro had stashed away, Yako had fallen asleep on the floor beside the Demon.

"Dammit."

He couldn't really fault her for finally passing out. Even if he had been up all night too, he had just watched everything happen. Like the Monster had told him to, he stayed outside throughout the entire battle. So he could deal with leaving Yako asleep, and even changing Neuro's clothes by himself, weird as Hell as that was.

What Godai couldn't explain was the piping hot cup of tea resting on the table in the corner once he was done.

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The following days had Yako spending much more time in the office than either school or at home. While this was hardly out of the ordinary, what was a little unexpected was her _willingness_ to be there. She had even opted to bringing a sleeping bag and more supplies so she didn't have to leave as much. She just wanted to be close by whenever Neuro woke up.

The Demon was so spent, he didn't actually move or leave the sofa at all.That said, it wasn't very often or even for very long at all that Neuro regained consciousness.

Random moments, his eyes would open and he would notice something obscure or say something that made it very clear he was worn-out. It was like falling asleep in class, and when you woke up you're trying to figure out what was going on or where you were.

Once, he happened to wake up as she and Godai were changing his clothes. To say that it was not embarrassing and awkward to suddenly have the Demon's dull gaze fixed on them as they were in the middle of undressing him would be entirely untrue. But his raspy, "Gang Rape," comment was enough to put them at ease and continue their task. By the time they were finished, he was out cold again.

Sometimes, though she didn't know it, Neuro would wake up in the night. He would find her sleeping on the opposite couch, or on the floor beside him. During the latter moments, the Demon found himself smiling and taking some strange satisfaction in the small bit of warmth her presence provided before falling back asleep.

Another time, Yako was sitting on the floor in front of Neuro's couch, snacking and watching TV. There wasn't anything of particular interest on, she just surfed the various channels to pass the time. That in itself was an incredibly weird occurrence, since Neuro would rarely give her any time that was not already filled with work or some sort of laborious task.

But it was when she paused to watch a random movie, some romantic comedy, that a dry cough made her spin around and find Neuro's eyes once again open. "Neuro? How do you feel? Can I get you anything?"

The ashy-haired Demon looked into his Human's concerned face for a long while, oddly content to just share space with her. It was a bizarre, feathery feeling. Finally, his gaze drifted away from her and across the room, taking note of something less important but interesting nonetheless.

"Why do Humans do that?"

"Do what?" Yako blinked, confused but glad that he was awake longer than five seconds.

Neuro turned his head slightly, as he lacked the strength to actually grab hold of Yako's head and turn it. She finally followed his gaze and saw the movie, the guy down on one knee before his girl as he slid a diamond ring on her finger. "That," he said. "I've seen them before, but why do Humans put bands on that particular finger? What is it supposed to mean?"

Yako briefly wondered just how tired her Demon must be to wonder about something as weird as ring fingers, but decided not to brood over it now.

"I guess…it's because that finger and the heart are…connected?" Yako chuckled nervously. "I remember someone telling me that when I was kid."

"Connected?" Neuro looked back at her. "In what way?"

"Well…" She tried to think about it. "There's a vein in the left ring finger that is supposedly connected directly to the heart. I think I remember reading something like that. And that's why engagement and wedding rings are ususally put on that finger. I guess it's really just a symbol of shared love, or something like that."

The Demon kept his tired eyes on the TV, observing the couple on the screen embracing. "The band on that finger… A sign of ownership then...?"

The Human girl sighed. "You would look at it like that, wouldn't you?"

She didn't get an answer. When she looked at him again, he was once again sound asleep.

Laying her head down, next to his right arm, Yako abandoned the TV to instead watch her Demon slumber. No new fractures had appeared in his skin, as far as she could see, but his hair was still so brittle and dry. His face didn't indicate that he was in any pain, but none of his color had come back. Overall, he made her think of a plant that wasn't watered in days. The soil and certain leaves would dry out, leaving what was still alive to struggle.

Until now, Neuro had been able to overcome any weakness. If it was for the sake of defending his feeding grounds, he could rise above anything. That was just how obstinate and confident he was. But he had lost every bit of strength he had in that battle, and had been left empty.

He was still alive, but barely. And as he hadn't even moved from that spot in days, she was only getting more and more worried about how he could possibly recover. She had tried to find that black scarf Neuro had used before, but it seemed to have completely vanished.

She didn't want to lose Neuro now. Not after everything they had managed to overcome. And especially not like this.

Yako wished Neuro would wake up so she could ask him what she should do. She wished he would wake up and tell her to do something that would make him better. She just wanted him to wake up.

Unfortunately, the following week had him laying completely still, not opening his eyes at all.

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When he again rose up through the shards and stains of incoherent dreams, Neuro awoke to a laugh he did not expect to hear again.

"This doesn't suit you, Neuro-sama," came an amused croak. "To think, the Demon whose name is feared in even the highest levels of Hell, in this kind of mess."

This statement was quickly followed by the distinct sound of Yako bouncing around the room like a pachinko ball. As tired as he was, he was sure to grin wide enough for his Human to see from her place on the floor.

But returning his attention to the one towering over him, he picked through the various scents that filled the room to uncover the definitive aroma of Hell-Blood. A female, with the particular tang of Hell's Insects. "…Zera? This is a surprise," Neuro smiled, opening his eyes. "It's been a while."

As was necessary, the low-level Demon Aomi Zera now bore a more Human appearance, but it was awkward, to say the least. The smile was much too wide, certain bits of skin were too rough and definite lines separating one part of the face were far too deep to be Human. If not for the hood, it was very unlikely the Demon would have avoided attention for very long.

"Gegege! I received a favor from Hell," the Hell born female giggled as she pulled back her hood. Not a second later, her right index finger morphed into an average-sized talon. "But you? Ending up in such a state? This is the perfect chance to work off the hatred I've accumulated all this time!"

Neuro had to wonder why those weaker than himself were so predictable with this. The minute the master appeared the least bit defenseless, the servants attacked. First Yako with that cake—he still didn't understand her method of attack—and now Zera, with perhaps the only weapon she could muster in this world. He couldn't say he had ever done something like that against anyone before. But that was perhaps because the only Demon Neuro wanted to overcome was his Father, and he was never in any state of weakness. That was an impossibility.

"Isn't it good that you're so exhausted, Neuro-sa—"

But it can rarely be said that a Demon will sleep in mixed company without some assurance of security. And Neuro had occupied this office long enough to adapt it to his uses, as was recently demonstrated by Yako a mere moment ago.

So, with the pressing of a button, Neuro watched as his would-be assailant was thrown about the room, caught in a net as well as the metallic grip of an amusing little device that knocked her into things, spun her around and finally dropped her right on top of Yako. This last part wasn't originally part of Neuro's design, but the Human had scurried across the floor to reach him when Zera had attacked. It was her own fault she got hit. Though Neuro could privately admit to himself that her dim-witted attempt to help him initiated a pleasant feeling.

"I couldn't hear you, Zera," Neuro grinned, this time displaying all of his teeth. "Say that again?"

"I'MSORRYI'MSORRYI'MSOSORRY!" The Demon sobbed. Obviously, she didn't take any enjoyment from the pain she could suffer at the Human world's laws of physics.

Yako struggled and eventually escaped from underneath the bulky Demon female, pushing her off and moving away. Having only ever encountered the Brain-Eater, she had assumed that most Demons were like Neuro. But this Demon was so weak, it was almost sad! Maybe he had been telling the truth when he told her that he was pretty high in the natural order of the Demon World.

"Right, whatever…" She stepped closer to her Demon, taking note of his still ashen appearance, she couldn't see that he was actually in any worse shape than before. "Are you okay, Neuro?"

A little more emerald had returned to Neuro's dark gaze, and he looked at her with something akin to a smile in his eyes. But as he was still obviously tired, Yako couldn't be absolutely sure.

"Just see to _that_," he replied breezily. "I'll wait."

'That' being the Demon entangled in Neuro's trap, Yako was a little reluctant to risk going near it. But unlike Neuro, who could catch bullets with his eyelashes, this Zera had been easily beaten down by just Neuro's traps. Yako could go through that and still be capable of getting up. She had to be durable, after working with him all this time. Maybe there wasn't any actual threat from this Hell spawn?

"You don't have to worry…" Zera whimpered, perhaps reading Yako's expression. "Even if my power wasn't reduced, I have orders not to harm any Humans."

'_That'll have to do…'_ Yako decided, taking hold of the net and pulling it off the surprisingly weak Demon. Afterwards, she returned to standing close to Neuro. "Zera…was it? When you say 'reduced', you mean you're not normally like this?"

Yako's question actually seemed to wound the Demon. "Well, it's like this…" Zera sighed miserably, kneeling before the Human girl like an admonished child. "The power of a Demon above ground is only 1/10,000th what it really and truly is. Even though Neuro-sama has ended up like this… My power as a low-class Demon is no match, even for an ordinary Human."

1/10,000th. _Just_ 1/10,000th! Back when Neuro had been at his peak, the power he had used to frighten her and Godai into submission, she hadn't even seen what he was truly capable of!

What she wouldn't give to see him now as he was back then…

"Uh, then…it'd be bad if you became as weak as Neuro…" Yako tried to shove her thoughts back on track.

Zera actually chuckled uneasily. "In all honesty, the instant we emerge above ground we _should_ cease to exist. The Laws of Physics and such don't take kindly to 'tourists' like us, since we come from a completely different world and we're built entirely different from Humans."

Yako gaped, having never heard anything like that from Neuro. She knew it was hard for him to be among Humans, since his 'oxygen' was pretty much absent up here. But nothing like him simply popping out of existence had ever been mentioned!

"But!" Zera quickly went on, again taking note of the anxiety passing the Human girl's face. "Our biology allows us the power to adapt."

To demonstrate this fact, Zera actually pinched one half of her rugged face and peeled back the skin. Yako was momentarily disgusted by the action, as well as the slime that ran down the Demon's face and the rather unpleasant smell. But she was shocked to find nothing lying behind the skin, no muscle or bone or anything. Just a black void.

"Take me, for instance," the Demon went on. "The depths of my internal organs connect directly to Hell, allowing me to breathe Miasma—Hell's oxygen—and I subsist on Hell's small bugs. I get everything I need, even if I'm not as strong as I'm supposed to be."

Yako openly gaped. She thought Neuro was bizarre and creepy, but that matched everything he had ever showed her. Demons really were incredible, she decided, no matter how weak they were.

"Neuro-sama, however, is different," Zera sighed, closing her face again with a wince. "There are those of us who escaped from Hell because we're weak, but you used your mighty power to force open a path to 'The World Above' just for the sake of there being Puzzles here."

She chuckled wretchedly at the pale, withered Demon lying on the sofa before her. "Ignoring the burden on your body, letting your instincts and passions run free. Hell's most brilliant creature committed Hell's most foolish act. So I won't bother holding back: You're going to die."

Everything in the office fell silent. The entire world seemed to go still in comparison to the pounding in Yako's ears.

Just like that, it was said. In spite of how impossible it sounded, in spite of how her world felt fractured hearing it, in spite of how she wished it was a lie, Yako knew it was true.

Neuro hadn't moved for days. He hadn't so much as demanded a small Puzzle. Everything about him was worn-out and empty. Neuro hadn't denied it. She knew it was the truth.

But as horrified as she was to realize it, Zera only seemed more and more thrilled by it.

"Because we're both Demons, you of all people should understand, Neuro-sama," the low-class Hell Spawn's laughter shook the walls. "The prospect of you recovering in the world up here is _zero_! You'll dry up and die right there! That is your fate! Ge—Gegegegegegege—eck!"

The Demon's grating laughter was suddenly halted, by a familiar black-gloved hand shoved down her throat.

Neuro had thought over his quandary, gathered his strength and sat up when he came to a decision. It had taken him one second to process everything Zera had said, and two seconds to come to a solution. He really must be on the edge if it really took him that long to realize something so simple. It was hardly agreeable, or very pleasant, but it was easy, and his best opportunity given his current dilemma.

"Zera. You're mouth isn't just a tad bit too chatty, it leads to Hell," the Brain-Eater smiled, drawing the other Demon closer and prying her jaws open. "If we tear it wider, we can expand it just enough to allow one Demon through."

The pounding in Yako's ears stopped at his words. Her heart stopped and she quit breathing.

"Yako…" He didn't look at her, and his smile seemed weak, but she heard him clearly. "I'm…going back."

Going back. Back to Hell. Going away. Leaving her behind.

She felt the fracture in her world shatter completely at his words. Winning the war against the New Bloodline. Returning X to his True Self. Killing SICKS. Pulling Neuro out of the sea and bringing him back. None of it had made any difference. Either he stayed here and died, or he returned to Hell lived. In the end, either way, she lost him.

"You don't want to?" Neuro pouted, in that threateningly childlike way of his to the captive Demon in his clutches.

"Yeshyeshyeshyesh! I caaaahhnn!" Zera flailed, and was subsequently dropped to the floor. "But…I'll need time to make my mouth expand. At least half a day."

"Then do it," the ashen Demon sat back, once again relaxing his overtaxed body. "Use the empty room down below." He didn't feel it necessary to waste anymore of his remaining strength on the peon.

Thus dismissed, Zera gathered herself up off the floor and started towards the door. But she paused and looked back at Neuro. "I'm honestly relieved, Neuro-sama," she confessed with surprising ease. "Although I hate you, if a Demon of your caliber were to die up here, like this… As a fellow Demon, it's nothing I want to see."

"The strong are strong. The weak are weak. That is how Fate is to those born of Hell."

Her gruff chuckle was somehow enough to draw Yako out of her haze of panic and despair. It sounded so…lackluster. From all of Neuro's stories, Yako had always assumed that Demons were all colorfully dissimilar from each other and from Humans that they didn't bother with ideas like Fate or Destiny. She had always assumed that they stood outside the frame of mind for things like that.

"Demons are, as a whole, such beings," Neuro quipped, able to read his Human's thoughts even if he didn't meet her eyes. "Born with various powers, having incredibly long life spans, they abandon the pursuit of possibility early on and settle it with the word 'Fate'." Scoffing, he shifted slightly, which resulted in a wheezing cough. After the small fit passed, he lay back stiffly and relaxed.

Looking to her pale Demon, Yako took in his weakened form and understood. She knew that Neuro broke through to the Human world for the sake of eating, so she understood. She knew Neuro, so she understood.

He had prepared himself for some struggle in this world. Maybe it would have been slower, less detrimental to his health if SICKS and his New Bloodline had never come out of hiding. Maybe he would have been able to dwell here among Humans longer and without any actual threat besides X. Maybe it would have taken more time, but he would have ended up this way eventually.

Straightening, she turned around and looked into his dim eyes with an assured tone. "You're really going back. To Hell."

Neuro met her gaze, and didn't know what to think about the tenderness he saw within her simple, earth-brown orbs. It caused a small twinge inside him that was unrelated to his unfortunate physical condition, but he couldn't accurately clarify it.

"With just one deep breath, I'll be back," he assured her, deciding to ignore the pang in his chest for the time being. He had to concentrate on what came next. And knowing what he had to do, he couldn't help sighing, despite how much it hurt. "But that option comes with a risk. Both dimensional as well as time axes differ greatly between Hell and the World Above."

Neuro noticed the befuddled look his Human offered in response to his words. She may not have understood one or two of the words he had used and was perhaps hoping for some clarification. For once, he didn't seriously mind explaining it. He dared to think talking about it might make him feel the slightest bit better about the situation.

"For example, when I come back, it could be one year or even a thousand years later," he sighed. "It's even possible that I may end up in a parallel universe of this world. I can't really guarantee that I'll come back to this place, or even a new world filled with such wonderfully chaotic potential as this one. A world brimming with 'Mysteries'…"

Neuro didn't want to leave. He knew he had to leave if he was to keep living. His Mother would never forgive him if he died. But the risk of leaving and never returning, of losing this world and all the fantastical Humans that lived here was tall.

What would happen if he wasn't here? Humans were stupid enough, they might just kill themselves off entirely, and he wouldn't be around to prevent it or benefit from it at all. He could return to a wasteland, completely devoid of Puzzles or Humans. What would they do without him?

What would Yako do without him?

As he wondered and worried about all these things, so turned inward he didn't notice the earthy gaze of his Human as she watched his thoughts pass his face.

Yako didn't think it was possible. A week ago—Hell! Just yesterday!—she would have bashed her head in at the idea of it.

Yet there he sat, in all his pale and glorious uncertainty.

'Brain Eater' Neuro was actually hesitating.

Staring at her Demon, pale and broken down, she felt the pieces of her cracked world ever so slowly start to line up and fit together again. Somehow, despite the alarm she felt at losing him, her thoughts became calm and quiet. Just like when she had waited for XI in the clearing that night, a strange tranquility settle over her, allowing her to think clearly.

She wanted to tell him something. She had probably always wanted to say it, she just wasn't sure how. But seeing him sitting there, honestly uncertain, she knew that she had to speak up. For both of them.

Kneeling down beside him, Yako gave an absolute and honest smile. It wasn't happy, per se, but it was kind and confident.

"Hurry up and go home, you stupid Demon."

Neuro was honestly thrown. He couldn't help the widening of his eyes, and he couldn't think of anything to say in reply to her obstinate words. He didn't think Yako capable of saying something like that directly to his face.

Yako almost cracked up at the expression on his face. It was well beyond any surprise that she had managed to incite, even the shock that XI had displayed while in the Demon's guise didn't compare. This was Neuro, and Yako had well and truly stunned him. It was somehow enough to keep her going.

"What?" She laughed, unable to help herself that little bit. "Don't worry so much. After all, you're body's on the brink of death!"

Yako lay one hand on her shoulder, feeling his cool-warm skin beneath his shirt. "I understand, Neuro. Even if your body needs to be in Hell in order to live, your brain can only be put to use here in the Human World."

Neuro had often bragged about having eaten all the Mysteries and Puzzles that Hell had to offer. And after meeting Zera, learning of the 'Fate' that Demons seemed to accept, she had finally figured out why Neuro was so determined.

"But it's not like Humans will have changed that much when you come back, or that your Mysteries will have decreased," she said with calm assurance. "This world, the world of Humans, won't change. Our unchanging need to evolve will continue, forging the future, creating the Mysteries that brought you here. I'm certain of that, because that's the answer I've found working here with you."

"And I promise you that I'll grow, too. So that no matter where you return to, I'll shine so bright you'll find me right away." Yako's smiling face seemed to glow with her words as she looked into the Demon's obsidian-emerald gaze. Her heart beat proud and confidant in her chest, and she was not afraid. "You don't need to protect me. Because I'm… Humans are going to be alright."

Neuro had given Humans a chance by defeating SICKS. Neuro had given Yako a chance by finding her and taking her with him.

She loved him, and she would never forget what he had done for her.

Yako jumped when she was suddenly caught by the back of her dress and pulled down to land directly on Neuro's chest. Laying there, off balance and pinned down, she felt a peculiar ripple in the cool-warm body beneath her and a weird and wonderful sound filled the room.

Neuro was laughing. But it wasn't like any of the manic or dark laughter she had heard he utter in the past. And looking up into his face, despite the chinks and pallor to his skin, she saw him glowing with the genuine delight. He looked honestly happy.

Yako was so stunned, she couldn't even move. A part of her didn't want to. So she lay there, listening to him laugh until he was out of breath.

"How admirably you've evolved," he sighed contentedly. "I can't call you slug anymore. 'Top Slug!' That is what I shall call you!"

"Even at the end, this is the only level I can achieve?" Yako gaped up at him. Seriously, hadn't she gotten far enough to be considered a mouse, at least?

Neuro just laughed again, more at himself than his little Human. The concept of doubt was brand new to him. He hadn't even realized he was letting his feelings somehow muddle with his brilliant mind.

He liked Humans. With all their individual flaws, failures, innate talents and never-ending possibilities. Humans were capable of evolving, learning and changing everything around them and themselves. Whether for good or ill, Humans were still Humans. Plain and simple.

Neuro had been from the depths of the sea by Humans who had no clue who he was, or even what he had done.

Yako had faced XI, an enemy a thousand times more powerful than her, and she had won. Just like Neuro trusted she would. She didn't necessarily need his protection, and neither did the rest of her race.

'_Just what was I worrying about?'_ The Demon wondered, feeling just his smile threatened to reopen his wounds and not caring.

Gripping her head, Neuro drew Yako close enough that he could feel her breath on his face. "Take care of the place while I'm gone, Partner…"

Partner. He had called her Partner. Not louse, or slug, or anything like that. Yako's face split with a smile so wide, it hurt. Partner. Finally, she was standing on equal footing with Nougami Neuro.

Even if it was likely the end for them, even if she never saw him again, she was certain that one word all alone was enough for her to carry on with her life with pride.

"I will…Partner…"

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How does one whittle away the remaining hours they have left with someone they care about?

What can be said as you anticipate and dread the coming dawn?

How can you possibly sum up one the best things to ever happen to you while also trying to say good bye?

"You're a virgin?" Yako gaped, her face white. "Seriously? For _real_?"

In her case, Yako sat on the couch, close beside her Demon as they discussed very random and generally unimportant things.

This topic, however, had certainly thrown her for a loop. Just as Neuro had known it would. Which was why he announced it, totally and completely out of the blue. Her reaction was even more explosive than when he had admitted to having only killed a small number of people in his entire life with intent.

"An absolute truth," the Demon smiled. "Admittedly, it isn't uncommon for Demons—or any one species, really!—to become physically involved with others after puberty. Some even tend to make a spectacle of it. But no, I've never fooled around."

"How come?" She asked, honestly curious. She had always taken Neuro to be autonomous, and even a bit of a delinquent. And she had admitted to herself once that he was somewhat attractive at times. Then again, who had the patience to endure having him?

"In part, it's because I'm an Imperial Demon," he replied.

"Imperial…?" Yako liked how it rolled off her tongue. The sound fit him.

"Imperial Demons are of the highest nobility, the truest of Demons," Neuro explained. "We make up the Demon Court and serve under the Emperor. Imperials never fool around, mostly because noble lines have to stay where everyone knows about them. If Imperial Demons started to pop up outside the reach of the Court, the trouble that could arise from the offspring's unchecked power could be disastrous."

"Wow…" The Human girl smiled. That tidbit of information was interesting, like there was actually some sort of logic in Hell.

"Also, my Father threatened a fate worse than death should I ever attempt such stupidity," he laughed. "Oh, the idea of my future child is already a nightmare among the Court! The only person looking forward to it is my Mother."

Yako had to admit that the idea of Neuro reproducing was a bit scary. Incredibly scary, actually. She almost shuddered. The Demon Court and Neuro's Father had the right idea keeping him in check.

"Mostly, I've simply never wanted to form any designs on anyone," he shrugged, shifting slightly against his pillow.

"I can understand that," Yako nodded.

"Good. Now it's your turn," Neuro smiled.

They had been going back and forth like this for a while now. It was already pitch black outside, but Yako tried to look at the clock. Zera had said the path back to Hell would be ready by dawn, and she didn't want to worry about how little time they had left.

It was easier to think of any given topic that was wholly unrelated with anything. Just talking about whatever happened to pop into their heads. Nothing about SICKS or any of their past cases. Almost nothing a serious consequence had come up. For now, it was just them and they were fine with that.

"Well… When I was in Junior High, I kept getting mistaken for a boy," Yako sighed, recalling the couple of days when she wore pants more often than anything. Kanae had managed to convince her to mostly wear skirts and more feminine shoes during their last year in Middle School. "I've never had any real attributes, and I've always kept my hair short, so I know it's mostly my own fault…"

"Hmm, I can see that," Neuro agreed with a grin. "That water barrel figure certainly makes it hard to find you sometimes."

Yako didn't feel like hitting him, for once.

"Just work on it," he went on easily. "Practice some feminine wiles, develop some charms. It will prove useful in various situations, I'm sure."

"You really think I've got any 'feminine wiles' to develop?" She passed him an unconvinced glance.

"Practice and let me know…" Neuro sighed, shifting his legs a bit under his blanket. "Tell me something else."

He kept asking for more stories from her, almost to the point where she told him three things for every one of his. She wouldn't begrudge him for pestering her, though. Maybe he wanted to hear about her as much as she did him. Just to have a little idea, a piece to hold on to for a while.

"Like what?" If there was something in particular the Demon wanted to know, she'd know if he had any interests.

The Demon fell silent at her inquiry, his eyes drifting shut. When he didn't move for a long moment, Yako worried that he may have fallen asleep. But then his obsidian-emerald gaze snapped open and he smiled. She was once again worried, however, because it was his more fiendish smile, not his playful one.

"If we hadn't paused that night, would you have let me have you?"

Yako felt her blood rush to her skin, making it burning hot. Looking away, across the room, anywhere safe, she didn't know what to say. She had so much trouble just coming to terms with her feelings for him, she still wasn't sure how to look at the kiss they had shared that night in her room, on her bed, beyond sheer panic.

"I…I-I don't…"

"Very well, I'll turn the wheel," Neuro grinned. "If I was in better shape, would you let me have you now?"

'_Not much better, Neuro!'_ The poor girl cried inside. She had no experience with things like this, how was she supposed to answer.

"Just tell me the truth. Yes or no."

Slowly, carefully, she brought her gaze back to her Demon. He was still smiling, his eyes were shining emerald, and something about his face seemed gentle. Almost patient.

Just the truth. No matter what came of it, she had to admit something.

"Yes…"

After all this time, Yako should have expected the sudden and unexplainable attack from a random piece of the wall. But given how quiet the night had been and how deep the topic of conversation, she was ashamed to admit that she wouldn't have seen the huge block coming if it had been blaring lights and a siren.

All the same, she picked herself back up, rubbing the injury to her poor head, and openly glared at the Demon. "That was low, Neuro…!"

"Oh, don't be such a spoilsport, Yako," he chuckled, rolling on to his side. "I haven't been able to do that in days. Indulge me."

"I'm going to go through this room and disable all of these traps!" Yako declared, growing frustrated when he simply showed her his back. "Mark my words! Whenever you get back, this office will be mine! Not yours!"

"Would _you_ be mine?" He asked. "When I get back, will you still belong only to me?"

The inquiry almost made Yako swallow her tongue. The pain in her head went numb. She carefully sat back down on the couch, staring at Neuro's back and waiting for him to say it was a joke.

But no such reassurance came. He simply waited, listening and smiling—Yako could see the edge of his lips, so she knew he was still smiling.

Sighing, she asked her own question. "If I was yours, would you be mine, too?"

"Of course," Neuro hummed.

Another long pause.

A gentle sigh and a soft smile. "Yes."

Yako didn't see the chain that grabbed her either.

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Yako was already sleep deprived, Neuro knew it wouldn't take long for her to fall asleep given the opportunity. The opportunity he provided involved her hanging from the ceiling until she lost consciousness. No doubt she would complain about his methods later.

But he knew it was better this way. She may react poorly when the moment finally came for him to leave. Humans were such maudlin creatures at the strangest of times, after all. And given the problems swirling about his return, she would probably be useless for days if she actually watched him leave.

He hadn't said farewell to either of his Mother and certainly not his Father when he decided to break into the Human World. He wasn't about to bid his favorite Human goodbye either. It made things simple and clean to just go.

So he was content to lay there, holding her as her gentle breathing lulled him into a pleasant doze. He liked this feeling. He wished he had a little more time to experiment with it. Humans were peculiar creatures with this 'affection' affair. Some were close, some were distant, some were open, some were restrained. But overall, he supposed that 'affection' and all the things it entailed were not unpleasant. And the parts that were, he could leave to Yako.

After all, she was his. She belonged to him and no one else.

His Human. His Partner. Yako.

A sound caught his attention, and opening his eyes, he found the last of his Evil Friday resting on the table. The rest had become useless without any Miasma to feed off of. This last one had been wandering about the office and given orders to raise the alarm if anything changed. Buzzing away, Neuro knew that Zera was ready. It was time to go.

Not looking to waste time, Neuro simply pushed Yako off the couch in order to sit up. Stretching his cold, stiff muscles, he quickly swallowed the Demon insect back down and managed to stand up. Almost immediately, his knees buckled and he dropped to the floor.

He was particularly content that Yako was not seeing him like this. She pulled some unusual stunts when he was resting or incapacitated in some way. He vaguely wondered if she kept cakes stored away in case he showed any sort of weakness. It was a peculiar thought, but not entirely improbable. She was, after all, Human.

But if she should happen to grow a little forgetful in his time away…

A gentle swish of hair called the Demon's attention to the wall.

Akane.

The braid of black hair, bound by a flesh-colored band waved him over. And coming closer, Neuro found his clothes resting on her desk, all torn and tattered from the battle almost two weeks ago.

"How generous of you to air out my suit, Akane," he smiled, picking up the various articles and shreds that remained of his outfit. Like him, there were breaks and holes and the color was paler than it should have been. There wasn't even enough strength left in the fabric to heal itself without help. "I don't expect I'll be returning very soon. You'll have to look after things while I'm away."

Akane quickly reached out to hold his hand. **[I'll take care of her. You take care, too]** she told him, giving his wrist a comforting squeeze. It was the best she could do to hug someone. **[Thank you for everything you've done. I wish there was more I could say, but all I can find is Thank You.]**

Neuro was somewhat surprised by the braid's gratitude, but he returned the squeeze with a smile. "Attempt to keep her from being overly stupid. Don't let it slip her mind just who she belongs to. I don't want to come back and find her with children that aren't…" He trailed off a moment, and quickly snatched up his clothes. "Keep her line, would you?"

**[Miss Detective won't disappoint you! She'll grow up beautiful and strong!] **The black braid flailed frantically.** [You'll see, she'll be a jewel!] **

"…Take care of yourselves," was all the Demon could say as he turned to head for the door. But still, he wasn't entirely content with that.

As he passed her, Neuro took this time to take another look at his Human. Asleep on the floor, still snagged by the chain, she lay unassuming and unaware of his movements. She didn't necessarily need his protection, but he knew that she would face her own quandaries in her pursuit to greatness. But she had given her word, and he couldn't say she had ever failed to keep a promise.

All the same, a little reassurance never hurt. There was something he had to do to guarantee that Yako wouldn't stray. There wasn't much he could do from Hell. He couldn't very well keep an eye on her, nor could he punish her for any recklessness she might think up. But he couldn't leave anything behind either.

Thinking about it, Neuro came to a solution. He couldn't help the sharp smile that threatened to split his face in two, since the solution was sure to be something Yako would never forget.

Returning to her side, letting his shadow hang over her small form, he knelt down. "Don't forget, Yako," he smiled down at her, leaning close so that she would hear him, even in her dreams. "I'll be back again. You had better shine bright enough for me to see you all the way from Hell."

Taking her left hand in his, Neuro found her _digitus annularis_ and bit her.

Yako flinched, whimpering in her sleep from the pain that managed to break through her dreams. When Neuro released her finger, the marks of his teeth were prominent and were not likely to ever fade. People would ask questions, Yako likely would too, but the pain she was sure to undergo if she ever tried something foolish would be a sure reminder of who she belonged to.

That was all he could do. That was all he could say. And somehow it was enough.

Nougami Neuro did not kiss her good bye.

By the time the Human girl would come to, the sun would just barely be shining beyond the buildings outside. By then, the 'Brain Eater' would already be long gone.

Katsuragi Yako did not cry a single tear.

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_Whew! Another Chapter done, thank Gaia!_

_I hope that I didn't mess up anywhere, with wording or characterization. Thank you all for your kind reviews and your patience. If this is at a disappointment, please be gentle, I wound easily in odd ways._

_Forgive me, but don't expect __**Chapter 07**__ very soon. This upcoming one I know will be longer than should be allowed, but I know exactly how I want it to go. The issue will be finding the time to jot it all down._

_THANK YOU AGAIN! I HOPE THIS CHAPTER PLEASES YOU ALL!_


	7. One Deep Breath - A Great Distance

**HUZZAH! **

**I return, bearing a NEW CHAPTER! Sorry it took so long. I worked on this whenever I could, but Job Hunting and various other aspects of RL tend to pull me away. Unemployment is not to be mistaken with bliss—I read that on a Demotivational. **

**Hoped to have it done by Valentine's Day, but clearly that didn't work out. I almost had it done in for 3.10, NeuYako's Birthday, but I just missed it. So, another White Day post.**

**Hope this is good and everyone enjoys!**

**07 -**

"**One Deep Breath" [A Great Distance]**

The landscape was familiar. White deserts, dark trees, pitch black sky overhead. These were things Neuro knew as well as both his faces. He had grown up escaping his teachers to wander the wilderness outside of the palace, learning every beast path and invisible route by himself. He always found himself smiling at the freedom of the wind and the vast, empty sky above him.

Even now, weak as he was, he smiled at the nostalgic wind that was slowly but unquestionably revitalizing his broken skin as it passed through his ash-white hair. But he was tired from the ordeal of falling back into his birthplace and walking for so many miles. He paused to catch his breath, reveling in the feel of the miasma as it filled his lungs. However, suddenly stopping after taxing himself in his already weak state, his legs gave out and dropped him on his knees.

Chuckling to himself, he tried to take as deep a breath as he could, tried to gather himself and get back on his feet. He would take a moment, only a quick rest before picking himself back up and continue on. He didn't have the luxury to just sit around, knowing that if he were to collapse out in the wilderness, anyone could come up and attempt to capture or even kill him.

He felt more of his strength return, but with it came a dizziness that related to the lack of much needed sleep. It was almost embarrassing how tired he was, though he honestly found it quite amusing. After all, before he left, he rarely slept at all, much less outside the safety of any of his halls. It wasn't in a Demon's nature to sleep in mixed company, but his nerves grated at the thought of actually falling asleep out in the open.

But then, as if summoned by his very dilemma, Neuro suddenly found himself in shadow. This was odd, considering the sun had not been raised yet, but he did know of one thing that could cast shadows in the darkest days of Hell. Looking up, the Demon found a great mountain of black stone suspended high above him. While it was hardly unusual to see isles or even the occasional volcano up in the air, the appearance of this particular mass always brought great awe and terror to all Hell Blood.

Neuro felt a particular sting at not having heard or felt its approach, but couldn't help the grimace or the weak sigh that escaped him. It might have been laughable if it wasn't so embarrassing. Honestly, even the most basic minded of Demons were able to acknowledge the arrival of the Demon Emperor's palace. But that was the proof of just how damaged he was.

Still smiling, he felt the world twist, and could only close his eyes to welcome the approaching ground as he fell forward.

But rather than the rocks and sand that his knees had touched before, a bed of soft, fragrant grass greeted his nose as it cushioned his fall. His smile broadened when he heard the rustle of bare feet moving through the green blades—as well as the heavier steps of two large beasts—and a figure bending down beside him. Warm, gentle hands rolled him over so that his head was resting in a soft lap.

"Welcome home, Neuro," she smiled and held him as she did when he was still a boy.

Sleep was pulling him down, blurring his already poor vision, but he still managed to smile up at the woman before he faded away.

"Hello, Mother…"

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Yako stared up at the higher library windows. The sky outside was a clear and gentle blue. Pale, not the darker, perfect blue she was always keeping an eye out for. Certain times of the day, the sky yielded that particular blue, but she happened to miss it today.

"Sorry it took me a while," Kanae sighed happily as she returned. "There was this really cute college guy over in—"

"Did you get his phone number, or the book you originally set out to get for me?" Yako sighed, feeling more than a little touchy. She was trying not to be, but being a woman had certain disadvantages at certain times of the month.

The redhead held her hand to her heart in mock injury. "How many years have we known each other, Yako? It's like you don't know me at all!" She passed the thick, smooth-covered book to her friend. "Naturally, I got both."

The High School Detective couldn't help smiling at her pretty friend's typical behavior. Opening the book, scanning the table of contents and turning to her chosen chapter, Yako whipped out her binder and started taking down notes.

Kanae took a seat across from her, watching with some fascination as Yako wrote things down with the surprising speed she had been bringing to school lately. Everyone in their class, maybe the entire school had been shocked by the sudden zeal she had towards studying. The last few tests they had taken had come back with higher scores than she ever had before. That wasn't to say that Yako didn't still enjoy the lunches their school provided, but it was impossible to say that food was the driving force behind her attendance anymore.

That, in and of itself, was extraordinary. But it was also a little worrisome, at least to Kanae. She had known Yako since Junior High, and the girl had never had much interest in academics. When she became a Private Investigator, the redhead was willing to accept that it might be a weird coping mechanism to get over her father's death. But within a year, skipping who know how many classes, Yako had become front page material, even solving terrorist cases.

But after her long 'moment of solitude', Yako returned to class, tearing through lessons and acing tests where she once rode through the semester by the seat of her pants. Not even Kanae would have thought she had so much strength of mind to almost ace each of the classes in their school.

And now, of all things, her golden-haired friend was looking through a textbook about France?

"When did you start taking an interest in anything French that wasn't chocolate, anyway?" The redhead finally asked.

"I've been thinking about going there next vacation," Yako replied without raising her eyes off her paper.

Kanae paled. Then flushed, smiling like the sun. "_**Really?**_"

Several patrons hissed over their books, making her drop her head.

"…really…?"

"Yeah. After that, America…or England, maybe?"

"Oh!" Kanae fought to contain her squeals of delight, lowering her voice, but not her excitement in the least. "Oh, Yako! You have to take me with you! You! Have! To! I've always wanted to go to Paris!"

Yako finally lifted her gaze to her friend. "I won't have too much money, and I'll probably be working the whole time."

At this, Kanae blinked. "Yako, people go to different countries for vacations, to have fun, meet incredibly sexy foreign guys. Why would you go to Paris, France to _work_?"

"I want to learn French," the girl replied with a smile.

The redhead was oddly surprised by the look in her friend's eyes. It was so gentle, so pretty, yet somehow incredibly fierce and indomitable. She had never seen such a look before, on her or any other person she knew. She almost had to shake herself out of her stupor to continue their conversation.

"Then I can help you. You know how great I am at Linguistics, everyone does!" Kanae urged, almost desperate. "Please, Yako? I've always wanted to go to Paris!"

Yako seemed to consider her friend's request. "Well, I haven't actually discussed it with my Mom, yet," she confessed. "And if you really wanted to come, you'd have to buy your own ticket and…"

"Oh, Yako! You're the best!" Kanae jumped up, accidentally knocking into a person sitting behind her, earning her a glare and another hiss. But she was swift to apologize and pull Yako into a tight hug. "I'll check my calendar, take care of all my own arrangements, don't you worry about a thing!"

With a kiss to Yako's cheek, Kanae skipped away with a promise to call her later. And the Detective couldn't help smiling and feeling happy with the concept of her friend joining her. It would be nice to have company when taking a trip to someplace completely new to her.

The idea came to her when her Mom happened to mention that her Dad used to travel around during his college years in order to learn more about architecture. If Yako wanted to learn more about people, overcome any possible barriers she might encounter, her first step would be in learning some other language besides Japanese. After all, wherever people lived she had to expect a puzzle. If that was to happen, it wouldn't do her any good if she couldn't understand what was being said to her. This also seemed to be the most efficient way to learn.

She continued taking down notes for another hour or so before her hand started to cramp. By then some of her eagerness had worn down and she relaxed, laying her head back down on her arms with a sigh.

In doing so, her tired eyes were drawn to the bruise that circled the ring finger on her left hand.

She had noticed the bruise the morning Neuro had left. It had hurt worse then, back when it was still an angry red-purple, she could barely use her hand for anything. But as mark faded to a purple-gray, the pain had lessened considerably. It still hurt on the odd occasion, but for the most part it was just visible.

Whenever she looked at it, this small injury left by the Demon—she was certain that it could be no one else—Yako wondered what it was supposed to mean. If he could leave such a lasting injury, why leave it in such an obscure place? Why not her whole arm or one of her legs? Why leave it at all?

Yako wondered what he meant to tell her with this mark, but nothing in all her knowledge of her Demon gave her any answers or made the injury heal any faster.

It had been four months since Neuro left, and it still hadn't faded.

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When Neuro awoke one hour later, he was in his own bed.

What a strangely pleasing sensation, returning to the room he had claimed as his own, been brought up in. Once again taking in the smells of his domain. The books gathering dust on the shelves. The scaly feathers and furs that cushioned his back and head. The warm-cool breeze coming through the window.

One scent in particular made his smile broaden. An impossibly sweet smell he had known since the day he was born.

Opening his eyes, with a slight strain, he turned his head to his right to find a woman sitting beside the bed with a small lamp lit on the table beside her. Neuro did not need such a light in order to see, but had never begrudged her need of such a thing in order to make her way through the black halls of the Demon Emperor's Palace.

Her hair was long, braided with flowers, pooling around her bare feet in gorgeous crimson waves. Atop her head rested a crown of assorted colorful flowers and green leaves. Her skin was light, but still bore evidence of having met the sunlight. She wore a simple gown of very plain white fabric, with long sleeves that fell over her hands with a long skirt, and was cut to hang off her shoulders and still allow her to run and jump however she wished. And her eyes, beautiful and full of life, were the same color of fresh new leaves that far outdid those of her crown.

People in the Human World considered Aya Asia to be a beauty, one of the greatest. In comparison, the woman beside him made the songstress look like little more than a pretty child. Her beauty was natural. Unhindered and unharmed by paints or jewels or frivolities that so many Humans spent hours using to appear presentable. In all actuality, the only item on her person that was not of her own making was the seamless, silver band that had circled her right ankle for as long as Neuro could remember.

But Neuro only needed to catch her scent to know that his Mother was at his side, and that alone was enough to make him smile in earnest.

"What time is it?" He sighed, relaxed in his replenished strength.

"Do you have somewhere to be?" His Mother asked pleasantly. "Some urgent matter of business you must see to?"

The 'Brain-Eater' offered her a cheeky smile. "Oh, yes! Countless dinner meetings, maybe even a few clandestine visits with multiple females. I have a full schedule."

She laughed, a sound like crystal bells and red roses. Beautiful, weird and wonderful. A sound he had always adored.

"Your hair has some color to it now," she offered. Lifting a bit of his hair into view, he did indeed find some green had returned to the ends of his mane. "What were you doing up there that even the color of your horns was depleted? I thought you were looking for somewhere to eat."

The Demon chuckled tiredly. "My source of food has always been a challenge, Mother. You know that…"

The woman nodded, her smile as agreeable as ever. "If it isn't a challenge, it isn't worth the effort, I remember. Water and sunlight would be too easy for your nature to be satisfied."

"I am not one of your plants, Mother…" He sighed, letting his eyes fall closed again and relishing in the power he felt flowing through him with each breath. It wouldn't take long to return to the peak of health if he were to rest in the Palace, where Miasma was strongest and he was shielded from all threats.

Save one.

"How have things been while I was gone…?"

"You were not away very long," she said. "Time flows so differently out there. Here, it's only been a little over a week."

At this news, Neuro's grin faltered slightly. "Ah… Seven days… So that's why Zera only just arrived…"

"On the contrary, Zera was sent out only when we felt you start to wane…" His Mother's smile left her face, and she looked upon her only child with evident concern. "We were so afraid that we might lose you."

The weakened Demon chuckled. "I am certain that _you_ were worried… _Him_, on the other hand—"

The light of the lamp suddenly shrank in fear and fell silent. The shadows in the already dark room turned black. They heard doors open and shut, and the wind withdrew from the open windows. Both Mother and Son looked towards the door as the profound echo of footsteps resounded throughout the palace, and waited.

After what seemed an entire day, the door opened at last and a certain person entered the room.

In his more Human form, he was tall. Hooded and cloaked in a black shroud that hid every inch of his skin from view. If one were to lean down and close enough, they might be graced with the sight of the black, featureless mask that concealed his face. Not that Neuro or any other Demon really needed to see his face to acknowledge him. It was clear to any fool with even the smallest drop of Hell Blood flowing in their veins when they were in the presence of the Demon Emperor.

Any Demon would shudder in fear and bow down within his presence, as was the natural law of Hell to revere the Emperor. But for all that, Neuro's mother remained seated, her back straight, her head held high, and a kind smile on her lips. It was moments such as these—and moments far more severe—knowing she was further from the Demon race than any Human, that made Neuro ponder if his Mother actually feared anything in her life.

The Emperor was not a mere elected official, like in most Human society. He was the Demon Race in its most simple and perfect form, he represented the entirety of Hell and contained all of its power. According to legend, there had once been at least Seven Emperors. But since the Cataclysm, for ages, Demons had only known of the one, so that tale was usually passed off as a myth. Moreso for the fact that, given the power that the Emperor possessed, the mere thought of how powerful _seven_ could be was absolutely terrifying, even to the most black-hearted Demons.

Neuro would normally feel inclined to remain lying down, but in light of present circumstances, he chose to sit up and swing his legs over the side of his bed so that he faced the intruder to his chambers. His customary grin had lightened to a casual smirk. It was the only physical sign that the Brain Eater was in any sort of discomfort, and not necessarily from his wounds or exhaustion. At that moment, Neuro was where no other Demon—perhaps no living thing, child or adult—ever wanted to be.

"Hello, Father."

The Demon Emperor silently took in the condition of his only child. Not only his obvious physical condition, but also any damage to his bones, muscles and blood. Neuro had long since learned to repress any reaction to his Father's meticulous observations, but he still found the sensation of dark eyes upon his insides to be a serious discomfort.

After a long moment in silence, the Emperor finished his assessment. "You took the 7 Weapons."

Neuro had honestly expected that to be his Father's first order of business. The fact that he had waited was surprising, though not necessarily good.

"So I did," the Brain Eater confessed with a nod. "However, considering you hardly have to use them anymore, I didn't think it would cause too much trouble."

"You are rather presumptuous," his Father said. His voice was level, expressing neither ire nor pride toward his son's actions. It was this empty voice, this total lack of sentiment, that always made the entirety of the Demon race sweat when he was speaking. There was no way to tell if whatever judgment he passed would be good or bad. Not that one could object, either way. "The 7 Weapons are the tools of the Demon Emperor, of whom you are not."

"I had use for them where I was going," Neuro replied.

"Indeed," his Father seemed willing to accept that much. Too many of their numbers had been lost in the past by reckless behavior and simply unknown threats belonging to the Worlds Above. "However, that does not justify that you took them, as well as stole away from Hell's boundaries. Why would you commit such a brainless act of treason?"

"Would you rather have me starve? There is nothing more here to interest me, so I was forced to look elsewhere."

At this, the Demon Emperor fell into an oppressive, yet meditative silence. For the longest time, he didn't speak or move. It didn't look like he was even breathing.

"If that is all you've come to rail against me, I will take my leave…" Neuro got back on his feet. The action felt refreshing, but at the same time very irregular. He was not at his best yet, but he was well enough that he w0uld make it just fine in the wilds.

Looking up, Neuro was startled to meet his Father's dark eyes. He had not heard him move, he had not even felt his being there. But having him so close, the Brain Eater found himself looking into the abyss that made up the Demon Emperor's eyes with a fascinated terror.

As always, there was no reflection of anything that surrounded him. No light existed in his eyes, not from the sun he had fought into the sky of Hell so long ago, nor the light of any World Above. Not even the light of Life that existed within his wife or his son. His eyes had always been darker than black.

The sudden pain in Neuro's chest was as surprising as his Father's sudden presence before him had been. He may have noticed had he been in better health, but in his current state the Demon could only fight to breathe around the fist that had broken through his ribcage and come out of his back. Amazingly, though not impossibly, the Emperor merely cut straight through Neuro without destroying anything on the inside. This allowed him to simply withdraw and drop his son back on his bed.

"Do not test me, boy," He told him as he watched Neuro bleed. And still his voice gave no hint of emotion. "Cross me again, and next time, I will rip something out. And it will be excruciating."

Neuro believed him. Being his son allowed him the luxury of knowing exactly what his Father was capable of.

"Rest. In three hours, I expect you will hold a proper audience with me." And with that, the Demon Emperor turned and left, the door slamming shut behind him. Almost immediately, the light of the lamp grew stronger and the air continued to move throughout the room.

Neuro felt his Mother at his side before the door had even shut. She had been silent and still throughout the whole exchange between Father and Son. When he was a child, she had always stepped in to defend him, whether with words or action. When he had started to mature into his own person, he had made her promise not to defend him ever again. He could take care of himself, he was strong, and he could bear his Father's wrath on his own.

She carefully pulled his hair out of his face and was not all that surprised to find her son smiling through his pain. "You should not be so reckless," she told him gently. "He is so severe in his punishments with you."

"If you…disagree with his…methods…then you shouldn't have…married him…!"

The marvelous beauty fell silent at that, and Neuro felt a pang of something terribly like regret at his words. He didn't mean to speak to her that way. He had to say something to relieve the strain of agony he was suffering, it just so happened that his mouth released that particular barb upon the one person he had ever looked to please.

His Mother smiled, kind and gentle as she had always been, and sat beside him as his wound slowly mended.

"I did not have the luxury of refusing him…" was all the Wife of the Demon Emperor said in reply.

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"I don't want a move from anyone!"

There was a collective gasp throughout the room as Phil drew a gun from his coat and aimed it at Cecilia. A few police officers went for their guns as everyone else drew back, but everyone was quick to freeze to prevent a panicked shot.

But by the time the man had spoken, Cecilia already found herself in a warm and protecting embrace.

Yako Katsuragi, the seventeen year-old Detective from Japan, the sweet girl she had met only three days ago had taken Cecilia in her arms and put her back to Phil's gun. It was startling. For a brief moment, Cecilia forgot her fear entirely.

"I swore that I would see you die, CC…!" Phil hissed, smiling as he used the familiar nickname he had given her when they were sweethearts back in high school. "Maybe it isn't a formal execution…but you're still gonna die!"

It truly frightened Cecilia to see her dear friend like this; he didn't even look like himself anymore. What had happened to him? Had her marrying someone else, someone so undeserving as Gil done that to him? Changed him into a man that would kill with such ease, not just awful people like Gil, but even innocents? Was it all her fault?

"Get out of the way, Yako!"

Cecilia struggled within the girl's arms. She didn't want anyone else to be hurt because of her. "Yako, let me go!"

But anyone who knew the girl's reputation—even the people who had only become acquainted with her over the past couple of days knew that the High School Detective Yako Katsuragi would not move. Faced with a gun, or a knife, or even death itself, she wouldn't be swayed into moving an inch or letting go of the trembling Cecilia. On the contrary, she tightened her hold around the petite woman.

She didn't even look away, meeting Phil's glare straight on. There was no anger or hostility, not even fear in her dark brown orbs. There may have been something akin to pity or compassion directed at the man. But above all, there was courage and a will Phil knew he could not shake.

But he didn't need to shake her. Not really. He just wanted her out of the way. He had six bullets in his gun: One for Cecilia, one for himself, and the rest for anyone who got in his way. Yako Katsuragi just so happened to be in his way.

So it came as a surprise when in a blur of red, Phil suddenly found himself on his back, and was immediately tackled by almost every able-bodied man in the room.

Yako hurried Cecilia to a far corner of the room, safe and out of the way of the Police as they hauled Phil up and out. He struggled, in spite of the almost dozen men holding him, and fought to go for the woman tucked away in the corner. But in the end, he was dragged out of the room and everyone gathered was once again safe.

Still reeling from the shock of finding her dearest friend to be the murderer of her awful husband, as well as two others, Cecilia pressed herself against the wall in a poor attempt to disappear.

Only to again feel that comforting warmth envelope her as Yako drew her into a hug.

"It's okay," the young woman said softly. "It's okay. You're safe now."

Cecilia felt her eyes burn with heartache. "It's…It's all my fault…!"

Yako held her tighter. "You didn't pull the trigger on any of those people. It was his choice to go so far. It wasn't you, so it isn't your fault."

"But…I…"

"You were so patient with them both," she went on. "They were both wrong and very cruel, and you did what you could for them. It wasn't wrong to want to wait for them. It wasn't your fault, Cecilia."

Sorrow and regret filled her heart, but there was also the strange comfort of Yako's words. And Cecilia allowed herself to cry, really cry and fill the room with her sobs as she returned the young Detective's embrace.

A while later, Yako saw Cecilia back to the police car she had been brought in, and waved as she was chauffeured away. Under the protection of the London Police Department, she knew that the woman would make it home safely.

Now, she had someone to speak to.

Rubbing her sore ring finger—as was her habit when she was deep in thought or nervous—she left the street. Stepping into a nearby alleyway, oddly reminiscent of another incident that morning, Katsuragi Yako found the two strangers waiting for her.

The first looked about the same age as Yako. He was dressed in black suit with a slightly loosened tie and gloves. He had thick, wavy gold hair with cowlick just to the right of the part in his hair, and gaze looked out from behind thick, pentagonal-framed glasses. He had a charming smile that would throw any girl into fits of giggles at his attention.

The other looked to be somewhere in his twenties, but bore a much more vibrant appearance than his companion. Incredibly long, beautiful red hair was the very first thing Yako had taken note of. Second was the pair of red glasses and silver neck chain. Dressed in a long red coat that hung around his elbows, easily showing off the white shirt, red vest and tie, form-fitting black pants and high-heeled ankle boots, Yako felt the mildest brush of envy that someone could look so good.

But as different as they were from each other, Yako was still a little shaken to see that their eyes were the exact same yellowish-green color beneath their glasses.

"Thank you for before," Yako smiled softly.

"'Thank you?' Wow! That's gotta be a first!" The red-clad stranger chuckled, flashing a grin of shark-like teeth. Yako was reminded of a similar smile, and her own smile broadened.

"Yep! Definitely a first for me," the second, blonde boy smiled. "Not many people feel inclined to thank death for anything."

Death. Grim Reapers, then. She had heard the odd rumor here and there, but hadn't expected to encounter any, or at the very least _see_ any. She had been on plenty of cases and never seen one.

It was that morning, when Yako had stepped off the main road and into an alley to meet with someone who had information on the murder of Gilbert Lustor that she first saw them. When evidence had pointed to Cecilia being the killer, Yako had been determined to find out everything she could in the hopes of solving the case. Naturally, finding her informer face down in a pool of his own blood was distressing. Finding these same two people standing over him, casually discussing some sort of record was more so. They, in turn, were even more surprised to find her looking right at them.

Thinking back, no one else seemed to pay them any mind at all. Not even up in the apartment a little while ago, when the police had been careful to keep everyone else out and drill everyone who came to the door, while they simply strolled right in.

Yako simply shrugged. "I understand that you didn't have to help, so I just wanted to thank you."

The taller, red-haired Englishman shrugged. "Well, we weren't supposed to. In fact, Cecilia Lustor was supposed to die in that room, one bullet to the heart. Afterwards, Phillip Landis would shoot himself in the head. We just had to wait for it to happen and collect them."

"If she was supposed to die, why did you knock Phil down?" Yako blinked.

The black-suited boy glanced to one side, baffled. "Yeah… weird thing, that…"

"The book suddenly changed, that's all," the scarlet beauty shrugged, as if it was no big deal. Judging from the blond boy's facepalm in response, it actually was.

"Why did it change?" Yako asked, not really understanding what 'the book' was.

Another shrug. "It was probably because of you."

"_Me_?" Yako honestly wasn't expecting that.

"The book changed the instant you put yourself between Cecilia Lustor and Philip Landis," the Reaper sighed. "Given that no one else was likely to make a move, and we would get in trouble if a Death occurred off record, and I just felt like punching something, so I stepped in. That's all."

Not entirely sure what else she could say to that, Yako sighed. She had been feeling very worn out from the past couple of days. She was ready to go to bed. "Well, whatever the reason, thanks again."

"You're quite welcome," the blond smiled, all charm and courtesy. "If there is anything else I might be able to do for you personally? I have a few hours before I'm due back at the office…"

His red-clad partner gagged.

Yako couldn't help laughing. She had never considered herself exceptionally pretty, so moments when guys put the moves on her tended to make her a little giddy. "Thank you, no. But, if I'm allowed to ask, can I have your names?"

"Oh! I'm Ronald Knox," the handsome youth smiled, and then motioned back to his companion. "Grell Sutcliff is my senior."

Very interesting and average titles for bringers of death.

"Pleased to meet you. I'm Katsuragi Yako. Though you probably already knew that…" She rolled her eyes.

"We did, but it's still common courtesy to exchange names upon introduction," the one named Grell said, sliding his fingers into his lovely red hair in far too pretty manner. "I've seen you around a couple times before. That Paris incident about six months ago. You're English is good, but you need to work on your French. Bring it from the top of your throat, not your chest."

Yako blinked, surprised that she could have possibly overlooked someone like Grell. But considering that she probably wasn't supposed to, she decided not to be too hard on herself. "Thanks, I'll remember that," she smiled, bowing politely. "Good night. See you around, maybe…"

But as she started to turn away, she stopped. Thinking carefully, she quickly came back. "Although…I don't suppose you would happen to know any Demons…?"

"Enough, I suppose…" Grell sighed dreamily, holding his hands to his heart. "Only _one_ immediately comes to mind. Tall, dark, ruby-eyed—"

"But there haven't been too many in our area for a good long time now," Ronald said flatly. Looking back at Yako, his gaze turned suspicious. "Why? You looking to meet one?"

Yako smiled with a shrug. "Maybe. Maybe not,"

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Neuro had never been the type of person to enjoy being immobile during recovery. If he reached a certain point where he was capable of moving without something falling off, he moved.

As he was in such a condition that would permit it, he left his bed with only a brief instance of dizziness, and then exited the room. Walking steadily down the halls of the palace, the Brain Eater passed a couple servants—all of whom bowed at his approach—and about fifty rooms and twenty-five stairways before he reached his destination.

The palace gardens were once a very dark, and terrifying place. It was no surprise that it was practically a forest, divided into four levels. The only plants were extremely poisonous, man-eaters, bringers of terror and nightmares. Many belonged to species that no longer grew outside the palace, long since been lost to time and faded into memory. Naturally, the Demon Emperor had saw to it that even the smallest, most insignificant species of his realm would survive while it was in his power to do so.

But for as long as Neuro had been alive, the gardens had always had a bit of glow to them. Primarily because plants of other odd worlds had been brought by the Emperor's scouts at his behest, so many, many years ages ago. Altered so that they would survive in Hell's conditions and so that they wouldn't offend the rest of the garden, it had been the first act of winning the heart of Neuro's Mother when the Emperor had stolen her away. This was where the woman spent much of her time, tending to her flowers and trees, and occasionally creating new forms of life between her plants and the less hostile of the Demon flora.

So it was here that Neuro decided to seek her company and hopefully to apologize for his earlier words towards her, the one creature he didn't think he could bear disappointing.

Neuro found her sitting beside a particular tree that looked like two people with branches growing from their arms, back and skull. This tree was native to the Western shores, and whether someone was watching or not it tended to move, to either watch passersby, attempt to eat the hapless traveler, or turn to its other in intimate embrace. As Neuro's Mother had long since made peace with all the garden, she had nothing to fear should the tree become hungry.

Circling the area, sniffing and listening for anything amiss, were his Mother's guard dogs. He called them 'Dogs,' but really they looked nothing like Human world canines. They were large—standing on all fours they were equal height with Neuro—but very lean, with long ears that went straight back, and paws that looked more like thickly-clawed hands. Their hair long, thick hair covered scales that shimmered multiple colors while staying dark—like the backs of beetles—while making a uneven trail down their backs to the ends of their long, flowing tails.

They had always been the most impossible of Demon Beasts, no one save the Emperor himself could command them to do anything. Back during their courting days, Neuro's Mother had gained the favor of an entire tribe—doing what, he still didn't know—and they in turn, granted her two of their finest to protect her. He remembered hearing his Father dispute this when he was still a child, as he was more than enough to defend his bride from whatever threat that dared set its sights upon her. But his Mother loved them had permitted them to stay as her companions since his childhood.

"Should you be up yet?" She asked when he approached, leaving her seat to meet him halfway. And while she was glad to see more color had returned to his hair and his skin was healing nicely, she could see that he was still in pain from his Father's blow. "It would probably be best if you stayed in bed, at least until you're fully healed."

"I'm fine, Mother," he smiled, spitting out a few of his Evil Friday to skitter around the garden. "I wanted to see you, anyhow."

At this, the crimson-haired woman took his face in her hands and smiled kindly. He already knew that she understood his reasons. "I feel worse that I am what dragged you out of bed than I am about what you said to me, Neuro. I want you to rest."

They sat down on the thick roots that protruded from the soil at the base of the tree, the guard beasts leaving them with a little more space. Neuro fought back a sigh of relief as some of the pain in his chest diminished with his sitting down, and very much wished he still had his batteries. Partially because he wished to speed up his recovery, but primarily because he missed the satisfying weight and sound of the metal hanging from his hair.

"Would you like to talk to me about your time away?" His Mother asked, gently holding a small black flower growing around the roots of the tree. "Who did you meet? Did anything interesting happen?"

The Brain Eater chuckled. "Humans are a very interesting species, overall. Very chaotic, very hypocritical. But also very…" His Human Girl, encouraging him to go and return quickly, "…_pleasing_ to watch evolve. It was very enjoyable."

Perhaps there was something in his voice, or maybe his expression, or even his eyes that encouraged his Mother's smile to broaden. "Was there anyone of particular interest?"

"Humans are naturally dull in color," Neuro sighed. "It's hard to differentiate them at times."

"Neuro..." Something in the way the Emperor's Wife said his name made him stop and meet her leaf-green gaze. "Be Honest. Was there one whose company you found to be exceptionally pleasing?"

Neuro pondered over his answer. He could never meet his Mother's eyes and lie. But this was a particularly delicate subject. His Father had made it indisputably clear that if Neuro was to engage in any sort of "recreation" outside of Hell's consent, there would be swift and painful repercussions for his blatant disregard.

But his Mother had asked him to be honest, so he really had no other choice in the matter.

"There was someone," he replied. "A Human girl."

He didn't have to look. He could practically feel his Mother's smile stretch even further. "Oh?"

"She's not at all pretty, mind you. Nor is she even very smart," Neuro went on steadily. "I took her as my Servant when we first met, and she provided the necessary front for my needs. But having the intellect of a protozoan, she was not incredibly quick on following orders all the time. Punishments and lessons were very frequent—"

"Even if they were not always necessary?" The woman smiled gently.

Neuro carried on, deciding not to answer that particular inquiry. "But there were times when she…caught me off guard. Times when I didn't expect some of her actions or responses. Not many, but…I enjoyed them."

His Mother nodded, understanding. "Am I to assume, then, that you have claimed this girl for your own?"

"Hardly!" He answered quickly. "She is little more than a child. She will have to prove herself much more than that before she expects to woo me!"

The Wife of the Demon Emperor laughed. "_She_ is to woo _you_?"

"Of course," he grinned. "From what I have observed, every other creature on Earth has the Male presenting himself to a Female for the sake of procreation. Humans are the only species where a Female must be appealing to the Male in order for anything to commence. I have merely been holding to that fact in how I have dealt with her."

"Oh?" Green eyes glittered mischievously. "And has she appealed to you? Has she done something to warrant your attention? Has this nameless female of the Human race, won my brilliantly fickle son's favor?"

Neuro fell into a thoughtful silence at this question.

He had accepted her failures and victories.

He had called her his 'Partner'.

He had kissed her.

He had left her with a mark of his ownership.

He would be lying if he said he didn't want her.

"Yes, I do believe she has."

His Mother's smile brightened at his admission. "I see…"

"What is to be seen, exactly?" Neuro asked playfully.

She did not answer him at first. Instead, opting to leave her seat to approach a nearby bush and pluck the dead, gold leaves from its branches. Once she was finished, his Mother brought the leaves back to her seat and began pulling them apart into small, thread-like pieces.

"Did you know that when I was first brought here, your Father could not bring himself to touch me?"

Neuro blinked in honest surprise at this sudden admission.

"Truly…I was perhaps the very first person the Emperor of Hell ever touched with his own hands."

The Brain Eater had always known that the Demon Emperor evaded physical contact with everybody, the only exceptions being himself and his Mother. Not that anyone would dare to attack him or even carelessly lay a hand on him, but his Father was usually one to use the tools and weapons at his disposal when communing with others. The Goddess had always touched her Demon husband gently, but also commonly. She sat close beside him, leaned against him, held his hand, took his arm, and embraced him openly. He had never considered the chance of his Mother ever _not_ being able to touch the Emperor freely.

"When he brought me here, for the first three days I was not visited at all," the Demon Emperor's Wife went on. "I was left food, though I did not eat it. But I was not spoken to, nor did I see anyone. I was alone, in an empty castle, in the dark…"

She trailed off with a gentle sigh, filling the air around them with the scent of flowers Neuro did not know.

"When I could finally take no more of it, I lashed out. I threw things, I screamed, I cried, I cursed. I carried on like that for so long—for the very first time in my life, too—that he finally came to see me to settle me down." She laughed, but the sound was sad. "He didn't understand why I was upset. He, who had lived in solitude for so much of his life, could not understand why I couldn't bear being confined in such a way. While I was provided, food and water, I needed someone nearby to hold my hand and pet my head. He didn't understand that someone who could not give me that was more hateful than anything I could stand."

Neuro had always known that his parents' beginning was far from smooth. He had always known that his Mother's nature was different from a Demon's and that she had a difficult time meshing with their culture. But in his mind, he had always seen his Father as the one begging and pleading for approval, his Mother the indomitable goddess that could not be swayed by even the most luxurious of offerings.

"So, as I demanded, he reached out to me," his Mother went on. "He did not disturb a single hair on my head as he reached out his hand, keeping a scarce few centimeters between us. I remember…his expression didn't change in the slightest. But his hand would not stop trembling. For almost thirty minutes, I just watched his hand move between us, before I finally told him to leave."

Leaf-green eyes met emerald-obsidian evenly. "It was not in his nature to require company or touch. But it was not in mine to be without them," she said. "Love… Understanding must exist _between_ two beings, Neuro. You cannot create it yourself."

Neuro nodded his acceptance of his Mother's words. And turning his gaze away, he pondered on them for a while.

They sat together in companionable silence for a few more moments. After which time, a servant hidden within in a hood and cloak made of what looked like liquid gold approached them. "His Majesty desires to speak with the Lady in the throne room…" came the raspy voice within the hood. "His Highness is to return to his room until your audience one hour from now…"

"I will go to him," Neuro's Mother smiled as she rose from her seat, gathering up her gold leaf-thread before she looked back to her son. "I was just about to ask that you rest for a bit longer. Will you be alright on your own?"

"Of course," the Brain Eater replied with a scoff. He wasn't a child anymore; he didn't need supervision or a caretaker. "I don't think a small walk will kill me, Mother. Not when I've survived everything else."

"Then I will see you in an hour…"

And with that, Neuro's Mother left with the servant—as well as her two beast guards in tow—to join his Father in the throne room.

He waited a moment longer before gathering up his Evil Fridays and heading back the way he had come. A little rest would help, as he felt more and more of his strength return and his injury start to heal faster. With any luck, his meeting with the Emperor would be quick in coming as well as going.

Doubtless, Neuro could expect his Father had already summoned the Demon Court and he would be put on trial for his transgressions. Breaking through to another world. Stealing the 7 Weapons of the Demon Emperor. They may even bring up other things that were completely unrelated to Neuro's primary misdemeanor. He could be confident that they wouldn't sentence him to death—the very idea was laughable!—but if he had enough votes from the Lords of the Court, the Demon Emperor could confine him for some duration.

That was something Neuro had to avoid at all costs. There was no telling how much time he had wasted here already. How many years had gone by on Earth? Would the path still be open to him? Would things still be the same as before?

Would Yako still be there?

Deciding that there was no point in worrying about it, Neuro instead focused on healing and thinking.

One hour would be a sufficient amount of time to formulate an argument of his own.

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Yako lay on her bed. Her curtains were closed and the lights were off. Just as they had been for the past three days.

Her mom had come in often to check on her and bring her meals, but Haruka didn't know what else she could do. She didn't even know what had happened to make her daughter so. She just returned home one day—a day same as any other—completely despondent and refusing to say anything. Yako hadn't left her room since then, and hardly ate at all. It was like Seiichi had died all over again.

"Yako…" She gently stroked her daughter's pale hair as they sat together on the bed. "I'm going to go do some shopping. Would you like to come along?"

The young woman shook her head negatively.

"Is there anything you want me to get for you? After all, today is…"

Another shake of the head.

"Okay, sweetie. I'll be back soon… Try to get some sleep, okay?" Haruka kissed her baby's cheek before she turned and left the room.

After a while, Yako heard the front door open and close. Then the house went still and she was alone.

It had been over a year and a half since Neuro had returned to Hell. She wasn't sure if it was too long or too short a time, but Yako now found herself in despair over his absence.

But more than that, she was losing confidence. She wasn't always able to solve the cases she took. The people she met were starting to feel beyond her ability to understand. Whether they were victims, suspects or culprits, Yako was feeling everything around her become more and more distant.

But it was this last case that finally sent it home.

Yako had done her best to understand, to solve the puzzle and come out victorious. She had learned the about the victim, his many girlfriends, the band he played with, the people he owed money to, and the people he worked for. He had enough enemies, it had been hard to sort through them.

But in the end, the murderer was the very man who hired the victim for his new job and had killed him to keep him away from his lovely wife. And that gorgeous woman, all adorned with diamonds and silk, had killed him in furious vengeance.

Yako had been too slow. She had looked in all the wrong place, talked to the wrong people, and hadn't realized the truth until it was too late.

Yako was no good at playing Detective anymore. She couldn't solve puzzles the way Neuro did.

How could she ever hope to be good enough to welcome him back?

If he ever came back…

He had said as much himself. Even if he left Hell and broke through to Earth again, there was no telling if it would be this one. Even if it was, there was no guarantee that he would come back to her. And even if he did, he certainly wouldn't be impressed with her. There was nothing special about her.

She was small and insignificant. There was nothing she could do to make a difference in this world.

Her gaze was drawn to the bruise that still circled her ring finger. She had grown accustomed to the pain and hardly noticed it anymore. But the sight of her unhealing injury only served to remind her of her failure to once again meet the Demon's expectations and fulfill her promise.

And laying there, all alone in the dark, Yako breathed a sigh of defeat. "It's impossible…"

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Neuro finished changing into his formal, black attire when he tucked his white scarf down the front.

It looked very similar to his blue suit; some would argue that it was hardly any different except in color. In truth, his formal clothes were made of a special spider silk, with a much higher thread-count. Also, rather than buttoning straight down the front, the jacket went much further to the right to be closed by six, thin gold chains. The collar of the jacket rose up to just beneath his mouth, and was lined with gold thread.

Over the entire ensemble was draped a long, battle worn black cape with a high collar. Various medals of silver, gold and blue metal decorated the front of it and connected both sides with a gold chain.

By this time, his bangs were once again black and most of the color had returned to his mane—though there were still traces of gray that diminished the green amongst the yellow. But beyond the ashy strands to his hair, Neuro found himself cringing whenever he took a breath. The injury his Father had dealt him wasn't completely healed yet, likely because the Emperor wanted to see how his composure might suffer while standing trial for his offense when wounded.

Neuro once again found himself missing his Demon Batteries that once hung at the ends of his hair. All the same, Neuro was ready to face the Court. Opening his door, he stepped out into the hall where two of his Mother's guard beasts were waiting to escort him. He knew he didn't need them, but it was obvious his Mother had given them orders to stay with him.

"You can go somewhere else," he told them. "I don't need protection from anything while I'm inside the palace."

He no sooner said this than someone threw a knife at his head.

He dodged it easily, pulling back in time for it to hit the wall. The one to throw it dropped down from the ceiling, and went for Neuro's throat.

Neuro caught the assailant by the head and slammed him into the wall.

His attacker was young—though certainly not by Human standards. His appearance was that of a fourteen year-old boy, dressed in red slacks, a red jacket missing the right sleeve, and a thick black shirt. The hair on the right side of his head was smooth, dropping down to his shoulder in straight brown locks, while the hair on the left side of his part was, short, scruffy, and pure white with the thickness of wolf fur.

"Not even close, Otto," he grinned with relish as the would-be assassin slid down to the floor. "You'll have to wait another hundred and fifty years before you can attack me again."

"I don't wanna wait another hundred and fifty years!" Otto whined, picking himself up again. All of his teeth were sharp, though the canine on the right side of his mouth was longer than the rest. The red pupils of his pale blue eyes flared with anger and he shook his fists at the older Demon. "What if the Court kills you? Or imprisons you for the rest of your life? Then what am I supposed to do?"

"You could always challenge my Father," Neuro offered cheerfully. "It might do him some good to have some sort of opposition. Like in the old days, when he was still uniting Hell under his rule."

"DON'T EVEN JOKE ABOUT THAT!" The Demon boy broke out in a cold sweat at the risk of somebody actually hearing.

Laughing, Neuro rejoined the guard beasts—who had not moved, because they had sensed no real threat—and continued down the hall. Otto retrieved his knife from the wall and fell in beside the Brain Eater as they weaved through the palace corridors.

"You don't look that bad," the youth scoffed, bridging his fingers behind his head. "What a joke! People were saying you were bone-white when you were carried in. And here I thought I finally had an opening!"

"Oh, I've mostly recovered in the last couple of hours," Neuro supplied helpfully. "If you really wanted to try your luck, you should have come at me while I was still in bed, just after I was brought in."

Again, Otto scoffed. "_Suuurrree_… Right in the presence of Her Ladyship. I'm _so_ certain she wouldn't rip me open and feed my insides to these two—" He waved one foot at the two beasts, "—or turn me into a new breed of plant for her garden."

Neuro chuckled at Otto's shudder of fear. "Still such a child."

"Hey! I've heard the stories, and so have you! Don't tell me there's no merit to them, Neuro!"

"I'm more fond of the tale of those idiot Humans who came to steal Mother away for themselves," the Brain Eater laughed heartily, not showing the pain he suffered from the action. He didn't need to give the boy false hopes of defeating him and possibly damaging his suit in a fight. "That one makes me laugh every time!"

"Che! Those guys were morons," Otto said. "Are Humans really that stupid? To try something so impossibly brainless, especially when they're facing someone so powerful as the Emperor himself?"

"Well, you challenge me all the time. I'm sure that's some of your own Human futility shining through right there."

"Is not!"

It was a rare occurrence nowadays, but whether by accident or some design, Humans would fall into Hell with no way out. From there, it was anyone's guess what happened to them. Though it wouldn't be impossible to assume that many of those Humans were taken in by various Demons, producing some of the most bizarre offspring.

With Otto, it had been obvious from his simple brown hair on the right side of his part that he had some Human in his heritage. It was what had first caught Neuro's attention. And from his brief moment of interest, Otto had taken to challenging him to various bouts and attempts on his life. The boy was probably one of the only Demons not to openly fear him.

"So? Is it any fun up there, among Humans?"

"Sometimes yes, sometimes no," Neuro shrugged. "They're very whimsical, contradictory and hypocritical. They're worse than children at times, can't follow orders or rules set by those above them. But with that, I can understand why so many of us left Hell to live in the 'Above Worlds'. Very rarely will a Human show their complete, true selves. They are an excellent source of food. The first moment I arrived, I was not ten feet from a great Puzzle!"

"Puzzles…" Otto sighed. "You Imperials and your insubstantial food. I'll take solids any day."

"And that is why you will never beat me."

"Food choice has nothing to do with wiping the walls with you, Brain Eater!"

"So says the one who was intimately kissing the wall outside my room," Neuro grinned. "I'm not sure if you have unbridled feelings for me or my wall, Otto. But I must tell you now, my interests lie elsewhere."

"I hold nothing but contempt and abhorrence for you!" Was Otto's seething reply. But then he stopped. "You have…interests…? As in 'INTERESTS'? Since _when_?"

The older Demon smiled. But it was odd for Otto, because he had never seen the Demon Emperor's Son smile with…with…

Otto couldn't even place the feeling in Neuro's smile.

He wasn't sure if he wanted to. It was a little scary.

The guard beasts came to a halt before the large, ornate black doors of the throne room. Leaving Neuro's side, they sat themselves down on either side of the door to wait. After all, they knew their mistress waited inside with her husband, and thus had no reason to enter.

Otto, however, was not allowed to enter. He was not an Imperial Demon, nor connected to the Court more than any other common-born Demon. Slightly more, when he considered his rivalry with Neuro, but it was still not nearly enough to permit him to stand in the presence of the Demon Emperor and the entire Court.

"When you get killed, anything you want me to take care of?" The boy asked cheekily.

They already knew Neuro wouldn't be killed. His very birth as the only son of the Demon Emperor ensured that, no matter how many of his prior adversaries attempted to end his life. Whatever his punishment was to be, that much was indisputable.

"If you're still here when I come back out, I will give you a better fight," the Brain Eater promised. And stepping forth, he pulled open the doors.

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The wind was cold with winter's bite. Standing up on the roof of the school, it was even more so. But those gathered together felt only the chill of fear as they gaped at the young woman standing on the other side of the railing, on the very edge of the roof. No one dared to move any closer, for fear of making the freshman, Itou Hanami jump.

But a head of wheat-gold hair hardly moved with the wind, or the fear of the girl leaping to her death.

"Your friends all had classes with Haruka-sensei, but you didn't," Yako said. "I wondered why someone—a student she had not wronged as a teacher—would join a circle based entirely on their hatred for the woman. But after Haruka-sensei supposedly fell from the roof, a lot of people were talking about something that happened a few years ago."

Long, black curls blew around in the cold wind, but Yako could see the twists of anger and the tears of sorrow and fear that caught her hair on Hanami's face.

"A girl named Itou Hotaru commit suicide off this very roof. She was your older sister."

"It was _her_ fault! My sister's future was stolen!" Hanami screamed, her voice carried across the roof on the wind. "All that woman did was tear her down! Make her feel like nothing! But she… She was so kind…and sweet, and caring…She was my best friend… SHE DESERVED TO LIVE, NOT THAT BITCH!"

"When she came up to the roof while you were hanging the banners, knowing her disposition, she probably said something about your sister," Yako went on evenly, taking a small step. "That was when you snapped and pushed her. She frantically caught grabbed the banner, but unfortunately the chord broke. She swung through the air like a pendulum and was thrown in front of the west building, where everyone assumed that she had jumped from. That was why the banner didn't look right..."

"The world's better off!" Hanami shouted, her white-knuckled grip on the railing started to tremble. "No one liked her! She was selfish and cruel! All she did was make others miserable! No one will miss her the way my family missed my sister! My sister would be glad that she's gone!"

Yako took another step. "But would your sister have wanted you to do something like this?" At that, Hanami's eyes snapped up to meet the Detective's. "Would your sister have wanted you to kill someone?"

"I would do anything for Hotaru!"

"If it was my sister, I would want to do anything, too," Yako said taking two more steps. "But remembering your sister, the sort of person she was, how much she loved you and meant to you, would she have wanted her baby sister to kill anyone? Even someone as awful as Haruka-sensei?"

"She… Hotaru would've… She would…but…"

Another three steps and Yako was against the railing. "Of all of your friends, you had the blackest hatred for Haruka-sensei. But because of that, you could never talk to any of them about your sister." Hanami's three friends shivered in the cold, but their tears felt hot as they trailed down their flushed cheeks. "Where all of them openly complained about how awful she was with teaching, lessons, even just as a person, you kept quiet. Maybe you didn't think they or anyone would understand."

"What do you think YOU know?" Hanami suddenly screamed. "You don't understand me or _anything_!"

Yako leaned her elbows against the rail and let her brown gaze wander to the horizon. Her face was calm, as if she was not trying to prevent a girl from jumping to her death. "When I think about my Dad, and how he was killed...I always end up remembering this small ice cream parlor near his office. He took me there whenever something big happened, or was going to happen, or whenever my Mom happened to be cooking. He took me there when I passed my High School entrance exams. He took me there just before he died. He sat me down and told me straight out that it was okay if I wasn't a genius like everyone else at school. It was okay if no one understood how I thought or lived. If I kept up my studies, did the best I could, and was happy with myself afterwards, I didn't have to worry about anything else."

Finally, she looked back at Hanami and smiled kindly. "Are you happy with yourself? Are you content or satisfied with your decision? Did your actions ease your pain and let you move on with your life?"

Hanami tried to keep her eyes glued to Yako's. But somehow, she felt the anger that fueled her actions to that point dim and she started trembling from the cold it left behind. Her hands felt stiff and weak around the railing.

"Will you be satisfied leaving everything as it is?" Yako pressed on. "Leaving everyone lost and confused about what you wanted to do? Are you fine with leaving your parents, your friends and everyone who cares about you without even understanding why?"

She stepped closer, leaving her hand beside Hanami's on the rail.

"Will you be content with that sort of ending?"

Hanami's friends, her teachers and the couple police officers gathered on the roof almost screamed when she let go of the rail.

But then the only sound beyond the cold wind was Hanami's hiccupping sobs as she embraced Yako and cried against her shoulder.

"It's alright," the young woman said gently, returning the hug with kind confidence. "It's alright. Cry now, as much as you want. We're not through yet. We still have a lot we can get done."

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The throne room was black as pitch, as it always was. It was hard for even Neuro to see perfectly, but as he knew the room by memory he did not have to go slowly to reach the center of the room without stumbling.

By that time, his Mother had come into view at the far end of the room. She was the only light in the entire space, emitting a pale glow like moonlight from where she sat against her throne of black fur. She leaned against it with self-confidence, even as she lay in a gentle doze with the fur touched lovingly to her cheek.

Around him, seated in various chairs or perches overhead, the rest of the Demon Court and the nobility of Hell eyed him warily. None had the gall to actually sneer at him, not even those that had been around since before he was born. In spite of Neuro's endless counts of mischief and wayward attitude to all, he was not known for only being the Demon Emperor's Son. He had earned his seat among the Court of his own accord, and had long since proven his standing in Hell's Natural Order.

"Brain Eater Neuro…" Rang the voice of the Demon Emperor throughout the vast room. "You have defied the 668th Law of Hell. Without sanction from the Demon Court, without the use of a Gate, and without just cause you ripped a hole to the World Above."

"Indeed," Neuro replied with a cheeky smile. "It would require too much time to sit the entire Court down and bicker over the points of allowing me to go. What's more, a Gate would take even more time to construct, considering almost no one leaves Hell—primarily because it takes too long for a request to go through—so I found it much easier to open a path on my own. Oh! And wanting to eat is as just a cause any, ser."

"So the rumors are true," smiled a small Demon Lord, seated high to Neuro left. He was as easily recognized by his child-like appearance, as well as the contract circle that shimmered within his right eye. "The Brain Eater truly has had his fill of the Mysteries of Hell. Demons have nothing to offer that has not already been tasted, is it?"

That sent some whispered words all about the throne room. Indeed, there had been rumors, but no one had ever been certain until that moment.

"Be still," the Emperor's even tones passed through the hall like a breeze. As he ordered, every Demon fell silent. "Neuro. In admitting to these offenses, you accept that you were in the wrong?"

The Brain Eater burst out laughing. "Not in the slightest! I hardly think it wrong of me to sustain myself. Eating is not a crime to anyone. Not even the Man Eaters are subjected to censure, and their diet demands much more than mine does."

"To eat is a necessity; it's more of a crime to deny food than to demand it," consented one of the older Demon Lords.

"But it's hardly relevant," quipped another.

"Untrue. It is the entire reason of my breaking the law to begin with," Neuro said. "Or, are you saying that those weaker few who seek to escape Hell's boundaries and blend in with the clamor 'Up Above' are more entitled than a starving Demon Lord?" The very notion was laughable, and one or two other Lords actually chuckled. "As you have all heard, there is nothing more to whet my palate in this world. In another world, among another race, where the true, dark emotions are buried in a more complex labyrinth than any Demon would hope to produce."

"Humans have always been capable of being worse than Demons."

"Isn't that the strangest, most nonsensical thing?"

"The universe is a scary place, isn't it, Brain Eater?"

"But that is precisely what makes them so much of a delight!"

Neuro's smiled broadened. There were enough who understood from their own experiences in the Worlds Above. There were plenty of Demon Lords that agreed that his needs for leaving were hardly whimsical.

"While his reasons are valid, it hardly changes the disruption it caused," said yet another of the Court. "The storms and falls that erupted from his tearing through the skies of Hell and who know how many odd worlds left hundreds of thousands reeling!"

"What would we do if he passed through an Above where traversing worlds is commonplace? If he incited the anger of another race that could track him back to Hell, what would we have done?"

"You are too soft," jeered an older Demon Lord. "I remember well the days when Demons of Hell were feared throughout six thousand different worlds. The air of Above changed us, but we were still strong. I remember when we would let our instincts and passions run free. I remember when we enjoyed ourselves."

Many Demons did, though there were plenty more that did not. It had been one single brutal incident upon one particular world that had put a halt to the old days of revelry. A force of some kind had taken all the Demons that had ventured to that world and locked them all away within a small pocket of space. Unable to escape and return to Hell, they would dwell in that stagnant hole in which they lay piled atop one another, cut off from all that they once were and where they had been, and there they would all eventually die.

The calamity had thrown Hell into a sheer panic. Neuro remembered watching his Father as he wandered the palace in a futile search for a solution. He remembered his Mother sitting down, taking her husband into her arms and speaking to him gently when he at last accepted and admitted that there was nothing he could do to rescue his stolen subjects.

The loss of so many had forced the Demon Emperor to put a halt to the days when Demons could freely traverse worlds. Any that desired to leave Hell's boundaries, for whatever reason, were ordered by the Emperor himself to follow clear-cut laws to prevent any attention from being drawn to the Demon when dealing amidst those that dwelled Above. These laws lessened the risk of being discovered and possibly captured by those of other worlds. But at the same time, the numbers of those who looked to explore outside of Hell had also decreased.

"I remember," Neuro said at last, drawing all eyes back to him. "I also remember the stories of when Hell Blood became thin. When the winds stopped blowing and the sun refused to rise. When not even the shadows from which Demons had been born offered any shelter or relief. What was it that finally changed? What was it that brought the Demons back to glory? Or rather…_who_?"

All eyes turned from the Brain Eater, to the Demon Emperor.

"As I recall, it was a single Demon boy that appeared out of the blue one day," Neuro went on smiling. "Bearing two entirely different forms like none had ever seen before, with power none could even imagine existing in one body. He alone broke into the earth and brought forth water and water to those that could not find it. He took it upon himself to battle the sun back into the black sky, stir up the winds with his own howls, and awaken his kind to what they once were and always should be."

At last, Neuro's Father opened his eyes. Large eyes, blacker than the deepest pit of Hell, opened in three pairs. Those six eyes rested upon three different faces, three different heads—each bearing four horns—of an enormous black beast like a dragon-dog rose up to gaze down upon his only son. Only in his throne room, only in the company of his Court and his Bride did the Demon Emperor take this other form. It was too terrifying, too awe inspiring for any creature to endure, Demon or otherwise.

And yet, his movement had not even disturbed the beauty that rested against him, nestled tenderly into his fur.

"Does this bear some purpose, Brain Eater Neuro?" The Demon Emperor inquired. Still, his voice betrayed no feeling or sentiment towards his son's words.

"Things change, even for us. When things are forced to remain the same, they are only left to rot," the Brain Eater said. "I, for one, require things to change, to transform. Constantly, my variety of sustenance demands to evolve. If it is always the same, I want nothing to do with it. I will not eat it. Thus, I knew that if I was to stay in this world where Demons have abandoned the pursuit of possibility, I, too, would rot."

"And you feel this justifies the upheaval your departure caused? Not only within the Demon Court, but in the very structure of Hell itself?" His Father pressed.

"Quite honestly, I didn't care about anything beyond my being able to eat, even for a moment," Neuro confessed. "But I find myself wondering… how many Demons saw my escape, and became inspired? Who watched me tear through to the World Above, something we are told is impossible, and wondered if they might be able to do it, too?" He shrugged. "Maybe only one. Maybe none at all. All the same, wouldn't it be interesting if the old days were return? If Demons once again travelled to countless worlds in search of something more interesting?"

One of the Demon Lords scoffed. "You mean to say that you forced open a path to the World Above to _inspire_ other Demons to leave Hell?"

"Not at all!" He laughed. "As I said before, there is nothing more to interest me here. In the Human World, there are still plenty of Puzzles I have yet to sample. That is, and always will be, my goal. But if a Demon was to become intrigued and leave to visit another realm, they might return bearing something we have never had before or have simply lost. I might enjoy seeing that, should I ever need to return."

"You weren't intending to return to Hell?" Several Lords jumped out of their seats in alarm. Certainly, they would be willing to admit that Hell could certainly use a respite from the Brain Eater's antics—a brief absence would give them time to rebuild whatever city or mountain or ocean he happened to have damaged in his fit of boredom. But the idea of Neuro _never_ returning to Hell at all undoubtedly sent a wave of disquiet throughout the Court.

"To have discovered a place filled with such wonderfully chaotic potential, a world full of Mysteries and Puzzles…" He smiled. "Until I've had my fill, I did not expect to return. It was only through multiple battles with some rather unscrupulous characters in the Human world that diminished my powers to the point I had to return so soon."

This sent the Demon Lords to whispering and wondering. The throne room buzzed with interest and concern, at last stirring Neuro's Mother from her light nap. Opening her leaf-green eyes, she smiled across the way to her son—he smiled back—before raising herself up to speak to her lord and husband. And seeing the Emperor's attention turn to his wife, the Demon Court gradually fell silent again, until even the air went still in waiting for them.

It was a long moment before she was finished talking, and fell back against the living throne that was her husband to wait with a smile. The beast considered what he had been told in absolute silence, before at last turning his dark gaze upon his son.

"Brain Eater Neuro. Are we to understand it was only your need to eat that drove you to leave Hell?"

"Of course," he grinned. "Nothing matters more to me than my filling my stomach."

The Demon Emperor accepted his answer. "And that is all that compels you to leave yet again? Even at the risk of slowly suffocating?"

Neuro considered his words, his grin softening to a smile as he recalled the very same words spoken to him not but a few hours ago. "Even if my body needs to be in Hell to live, my brain can only be put to use in the Human world. And quite honestly, I'll put up with not breathing before willingly I let myself go hungry."

Six darker-than-black eyes gazed down upon the Demon, all the while thinking, remembering, and piecing together. But it had been the smile upon his son's face that he truly accepted what he had been told by his wife.

"There are other worlds, likely as abundant in chaos as the first. Is there no other reason you would seek to return to that particular world?"

Seeing the look in his Father's eyes, Neuro realized what it was his Mother had told him. He wondered if he should have felt betrayed by her admission, but instead found he could only offer her a beaming smile. If the Goddess truly believed that her knowledge would bring her son trouble, he would have kept to her own counsel. In telling her Demon husband what she knew, she was showing how much confidence she had had in Neuro.

Knowing that, as well as the consequences the Demon Emperor had drilled into him from an early age, Neuro faced his father with assurance.

"There is an individual 'Up Above' that I have a claim to," he said. "She has also laid a similar claim to me. So it would be best if I returned quickly before she forgets who she belongs to, as it would be disadvantageous to my being able to hide among Humans and continue to eat if she were led astray."

The entire Court was frozen in shock and horror.

The 'Brain Eater' Neuro had laid claim to a woman.

The Son of the Demon Emperor had chosen a female.

Almost every seat was left as many Lord leapt up in astonishment. They all would have shouted and screamed in horror, objected that such a thing shouldn't be allowed—much less between the Demon Emperor's Son and some nameless Human girl—and should be finished before it could begin. They all would have fought the Demon themselves, right there in the throne room with the sole intent of beating sense and reason back into the brilliant mind Neuro possessed.

They all would have done all of these things, had a sound not shut them up before they could utter a single word in protest. Even Neuro found his eyes widening in astonishment.

It was dark. It whistled like a winter storm across a field of dead grass. It rang like a tarnished bell. It made the walls and the floor and the ceiling high overhead shudder.

Looking to the three-headed beast that was the ruler of Hell, they found his wife holding tight to his side as his entire form quaked.

The Demon Emperor was _laughing_.

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"Thankfully the Ghouls are only a few in number," the golden-haired, red-clad Draculina sighed. Loading and lifting her two large guns, she looked back to her tall, pale-haired, dark-skinned master. "It shouldn't take too long for us to deal with them, so no one should notice them."

Integra breathed her own sigh, exhaling a cloud of bitter smoke. "See to it that it's done right, Seras. It's upsetting enough that we had to deal with the likes of _these_ people…" She glared at the small group with her one good eye, "...without anyone else so totally and completely uninvolved stepping into the fray."

"Oh, _please_!" Grell scoffed, tossing his red hair over his shoulder. "We have plenty of reasons to be here, Sir Hellsing. With all the crap you and yours have done over the years, you should feel _blessed_ to be getting help from 'the likes of us'."

Ronald chuckled at that, but refrained from saying anything. With William standing nearby, he didn't think his own comments would yield a better mood to their supervisor.

What with Vampires, zombies—or rather, Ghouls to one particular organization—and one normal girl popping up in one place, the day could have been better. But, the blonde could honestly say it wasn't a complete loss. It had been a long time since Ronald had seen a woman pull off a mini skirt that well.

"We can settle this matter quickly if we charge into their center," William said, pushing his glasses back up his nose. "Between the four of us, we can divide the horde and deal with them efficiently, without any civilian casualties."

"Anymore 'casualties' and their numbers will be too much to deal with!" Ronald laughed, starting up his lawn mower.

Grell sighed dramatically as his chainsaw roared to life. "I've always hated zombies, the living undead. Walking around all dead, but alive. Makes a mockery of my job."

"Master Integra, please take Miss Yako and return to the mansion," Seras said. "I will return before dawn."

"Wait, wait, wait!" Yako jumped up from where she had been sitting on the sidewalk. She almost fell back down again when the pain in her sprained ankle flared up again. "After everything I've been through today, I can't just… Without anything to explain why I was out of contact for so long, people are going to think I'm crazy!"

"There was an outbreak of some sort," Integra said. "Only a few people managed to escape before it got too bad. You, fortunately, did not come into contact with the infection, but your path was blocked by the people sent to contain the outbreak. Because of the various examinations you had to go through, there was no way you could contact your family about the situation."

It wasn't entirely untrue, if one was to look at it from a certain point of view.

"I guess, but still—"

"Oh, don't fuss about the details, honey," Grell smiled.

"We'll take care of the mess while you two escape," Seras said. "Just stick to the main road and don't stop for anyone."

"Keep your lights on and the radio off," William quipped. "You don't need any further distractions unless it is to keep you awake."

Ronald grinned. "Don't worry, I'll send you some really nice chocolates to make up for ditching you here. It was great to see you again!"

And with that, the four of them leapt into the air, disappearing into the night in blurs of red and black.

"I won't accept that!" Yako limping a few feet after them before shaking her fist into the night. "You just wanna get rid of me because I'm normal!"

Integra laughed heartily at that, shaking the ash from her cigar. "You're on good terms with three Grim Reapers, and you were only mildly surprised meet a Vampire who serves as Vampire Slaying Organization. You're rare enough."

Yako winced when her ankle screamed again and she actually froze up, but smiled when she felt the reassuring brush against her hand from the braid of hair circling her wrist. In the chaos of the initial panic, her cell phone had been dropped and crushed under the feet of the people running away from the fray. Thankfully, Yako had been able to retrieve Akane from the remains, but the braid was so weakened by the ordeal, she was barely able to move at all.

"Don't worry about them," the one-eyed noble said, smiling kindly. "Seras is strong. And I have the feeling that your three friends have seen weirder things than this before, being Grim Reapers. What we need to do is get out of their way so that they don't have to worry about us."

Yako nodded, knowing she was right.

"Our first order of business…we need a car," Integra sighed as she moved to pull the young woman's arm over her shoulder to help her walk. "But…there is the issue of finding a vehicle with keys."

"Just pick a color," Yako smiled. "A friend of mine taught me how to hotwire."

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Neuro watched as one by one, the Demon Lords dispersed, leaving only himself and his parents in the throne room. When they were finally alone, the three-headed beast vanished into shadow. A moment later, the Demon Emperor emerged from the darkness to stand before his son, cloak and mask once again in place and his wife nestled close at his side.

"Is it really such an appalling thing that I would find someone I want solely for myself?" He asked, deciding not to wait for a lecture. "It is not so unusual for other Demons to have _more_ than one partner, Demon or otherwise. Yet the very thought of me becoming interested in a single woman is so terrible…"

Neuro looked up into the smooth, black mask that concealed his Father's face. And he met the darker-than-black eyes that gazed down upon him with only a vague shudder.

"I understand that any child of mine would be extraordinary, no matter the crossing out. So why so much dread?"

It was a moment before his Father deemed ready to speak, asking yet another question. "Do you know why you were born, Neuro?"

The Demon blinked in surprise at this and was unable to answer.

"It is because I will not always be living."

Neuro nearly choked on a laugh. "That's a lark. You honestly believe you're _ever_ going to die?"

"When I united Hell under my rule, it was believed by all—even myself—that I would always support this world and preside as Emperor until the end of time," his Father said. "When I Joined with your Mother, and you were born, I realized that that was not so. You are the son of the Demon Emperor, and will therefore fill my place after I am gone. Should you Join with another and bring forth a son of your own, he will become the Demon Emperor after you. "

The Brain Eater Neuro stared in awed disbelief at his parents, searching for some sign that it was all a joke. He had always done his best to overthrow his Father in some way, to surpass him and prove he was greater. But he had never truly believed the throne would ever be free for anyone to ever hope to take, not even himself.

"You are so very precious, Neuro, and not only to us," his Mother told him tenderly. "You are what will support this world with the passing of your Father. You are where the future of all Demons. In spite of your wild behavior, the entire Demon Court knows that."

"Mind you, I will not depart this life any time soon," the Emperor went on swiftly but easily. "You, on the other hand, have just barely escaped that voyage. It would be ruinous for all of Hell and those of Demon Blood should your life come to an end—especially before you have borne a child of your own to fill the void you will leave in the wake of your passing. And while you may laugh at the Court for suffering over the idea of you never returning to Hell, if I am to breathe my last breath and you are not in the position to fill my place, it is impossible to say what will become of everything we have built over the ages. We can assume that those of the Court are not stupid enough to fight one another for the title of Emperor, but all things suffer from death, even empires as great and powerful as Hell."

Neuro considered everything his parents had said, and accepted it all. It was the truth; there was no sense in denying it. "So what am I to do? Sit in a corner somewhere, waiting to become Emperor while slowly starving to death? If so, I'm more at risk of passing away before you do."

The Demon Emperor thought about this in his usual, distant silence that turned his gaze inward. It was a long moment before he returned, but even then he did not have the answer for his son.

"The Court will confer all matters involved and decide on your punishment," he said at last. "Until that time, return to your chambers and wait. I ask that you do not attempt to escape before a verdict has been reached."

With a sigh, the Brain Eater could only agree to leaving, in spite of his instinct to argue further.

Exiting the doors of the throne room, Neuro easily caught Otto's punch, delivered one of his own and then kicked the boy away. The younger Demon quickly got back on his feet and charged him again. Their fight would last one hour, filling the time and space between the hall and Neuro's bedroom.

Otto was dropped on his face just outside his door and laid there like a welcome mat until Neuro's Mother came back up the stairs again.

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"Yako," Haruka knocked on her daughter's door before opening it.

Yako looked up from her computer, but easily returned to the conversation she was having via internet. "Il est grand de voir que vous faites bien," she smiled to her friend. "Je suis heureux tout a lissé dehors. Je vous appellerai encore plus tard?"

"_Retentit bon. Soyez sûr, bonbon,_" chimed the young woman on the screen. "_Entretien à vous alors._"

Haruka couldn't help smiling over the fact that she hadn't understood a single word of that. Her daughter's French was unbelievably smooth, like the chocolates she occasionally received in the mail from that very place. It was mind-blowing to see how far the girl had come in the last couple of years.

"Something up, Mom?" Yako smiled as she shut down her computer and turned around to face her.

"There are two men downstairs that wanted to talk to you," Haruka said, her smile dropping just a little. "They say that they're cousins of your Father's, but I can't say I've ever met them before. They honestly make me think of the mafia with their dark, yet stylish clothes. Especially the one with the sunglasses…"

The Hayasaka Brothers.

Yako heaved a heavy sigh with a helpless laugh. That was the cover she had come up with to dissuade Usui-san's suspicions about the two only a couple of days ago. After they had been framed with poor Mutsuki-chan's kidnapping while the real kidnappers attempted to escape, Yako hadn't felt right about getting the brothers into any actual trouble that was not of their making. Thankfully, the man had accepted the cover up with surprising ease. Muttering something about how obnoxious the Katsuragi family was, he had let them be.

The girl seriously shuddered at the thought of what damage the Hayasaka Brothers could bring to her doorstep with such a cover. But as yet, no harm to her family name or connections had been dealt—likely because the light and dark pair had not found a better use for it yet.

"All the same," her Mom went on, "I sat them down in the living room with some of my special tea and a fresh batch of my sugar cookies. They looked really… Yako?"

Haruka didn't catch the white panic that covered her daughter's face at her chipper words, so she couldn't have hoped to see the young woman leap from her chair and hurry out the door. Speeding down the hall and practically jumping the stairs, Yako tore open the door to the living room so hard and so fast she almost broke it off the wall.

"STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOPPPPPPPP!"

Hisanori-san was sitting on the sofa, her hands resting in his lap leisurely. Yukinori was just starting to bring a petite cookie to his lips, when her sudden and loud appearance brought him a halt.

"Put…it…down…" Yako said, arms out and hands open wide in desperation. "Very carefully…put the cookie down… _Please_."

While Yuki was certainly confused, he saw no reason to refuse the girl in her own house and returned the cookie to the plate. Both brothers considered her present state to be similar to one attempting to dissuade someone about to commit suicide—on one of her less than good days, given her many exploits of success in the past.

"Did either of you drink the tea…?" She asked carefully, but still with an air of dread. "Did either of you eat anything before I got here…?"

"No," Hisanori replied, his ever-present smile on his face. "I don't think we had much time to."

Yako dropped to her knees as relief flooded her, making her weak. "Thank God!"

"What's your problem?" Yuki asked. "You look like hell."

"My Mother's cooking is a nightmare. You guys probably would have died if you took one bite or a single sip."

"Don't you think you're over exaggerating a little bit?" The darker, older of the brother chuckled. "Sure, there's always bad cooking in every family—or at least in every family that _can_ cook—but to say that…"

Hisanori trailed off when Yako crossed the room, lifted up his tea cup and turned it so that he could look inside. Both of the Hayasakas gaped _through_ the empty cup, as it was now more of a ceramic tube with the bottom burned straight through. There was even a hole in the coffee table. Looking to his own cup, Yuki found it in a similar state.

"Wow. It looked and smelled completely harmless, too…" the pale haired man stared. "But what was wrong with the cookies?"

Yako took one of the innocent, flower-shaped confections and without blinking she hurled it at the wall. It embedded itself more than halfway into the plaster without cracking it. Instead, the paint around the impact area started to darken as if poisoned.

"Wow…" Hisanori's shoulders shook with repressed laughter. "That is… I have no words."

As Yako retrieved the cookie from the wall, Haruka stepped into the room. "Yako, did you do that to the door?"

Before her daughter could answer, Hisanori stood up and turned his smile to the dark-haired mother. "Madam. I would like to compliment you on your fabulous cooking skills. I can't say I've ever been more delighted than I am with your cookies and tea."

Haruka's face lit up, as if heaven had opened up over her head. "Really? You…You really like them?"

"Very much so," he said without a doubt. "I would greatly suggest that you continue to expand your talents in whatever way possible. And also… Would it be too much to ask to take home the rest of the batch? I'm certain that some of my associates would _love_ to try them as well."

Yako's mother was walking on cloud nine. No one had ever complimented her skills in the kitchen. She may not be capable of realizing what a nightmare her cooking was, not even her family had ever praised her food before. Now she was definitely going to attend that cooking class Miwako-san had told her about. Smiling and giggling like a little girl, she went off into the kitchen to prepare a box for her cookies and a thermos for her tea.

Yako returned the projectile cookie to the plate and glared at Hisanori. "Don't be mean to my Mother, Hayasaka-san."

"I'm not being being mean at all," the dark man replied pleasantly. "I could honestly use them in handling some…inconclusive deals. They would never suspect anything was wrong with them, anymore than we did."

"Fiend," Yako sighed, combing her fingers through her bangs—feeling the familiar twinge of pain on her finger. "So? What did you need to see me about?"

"We would like to hire you for a job," Hisanori said evenly, chuckling at the look of surprise on the young woman's face. "We'll be willing to pay whatever you may need to get there and come back. You could even stay a few days if you wanted and take a vacation in the area."

Yuki hefted up a briefcase and set it on the coffee table.

"And, of course, your fee for handling the job…"

Yako looked from one man to the other. They had known each other long enough to know not to touch upon subjects or areas that would be too troublesome for their occupations or circumstances. Sometimes, they required one another's expertise, but not incredibly often. But after their help in the Mutsuki kidnapping case, she was willing to try—so long as it wasn't degrading or costly to her work as a Detective.

"What's the job exactly?"

Hisanori's smile became dark, panther-like. "Have you ever been to Brazil, Miss Detective?"

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Neuro sat on the wall by his window, gazing out at the stretching landscape of Hell. He knew every secret there was to offer his hungry brain in this world, perhaps most of them had been solved in his youth. So he knew that he would not stay in Hell, whatever the Court decided to do with him.

He had changed back into his blue pants and white shirt upon his return to his room. All the wounds had been healed and the blue and white fabric was in perfect health. The first opportunity he had, he would leave the palace—maybe find some new batteries, if there was time—and return. He had somewhere else to be, with more interesting things to do, on his own time.

Time… There was no telling how much had passed Up Above. He was confident enough that the number of Puzzles he sought had only increased in his time away. He could also rest easy knowing that Humans had a tendency toward improvement, even if it was erratic at times. So long as Humans were driven to evolve, there would be no end to his feeding grounds. He would return without worry for his food source.

And yet, there was disquiet within him.

A strange sensation of something heavy and twisting in his stomach kept him from being able to settle down.

This did not come from his concern for the Humans who housed such chaos, the Humans who gave life Puzzles and Mysteries, and lit up that Space Between Worlds like countless stars.

No. He could honestly say it was concern for just one Human that caused this unpleasant feeling. It was the time he now had to sit there waiting that he found himself vexing over the current condition of his Human. She had seen him off just fine, but there was no telling how long she was able to keep herself motivated on her own. She could easily lose interest in the role he had shaped out for her and move on to something much simpler for her single-celled brain to endure.

Not only that, there were also the issues that she would not think to avoid or events she had no control over. With all the intelligence the girl lacked, she could be falling down a hole somewhere, or breaking her neck, or being eaten by wild dogs, or getting kidnapped and having all of her organs removed. And he could be missing all of it!

He suddenly halted his musings as his door opened and both his Father and Mother stepped in. But this time, he felt no need to stand and greet them, and instead opted to staying on the wall.

"You appear concerned about something," the Demon Emperor observed, his tones still level and unrevealing of anything. "That is a first. I do not normally see you without some air of confidence in all that you do."

For once, Neuro didn't feel like withholding his own marvel. "I've never heard you laugh before today."

His Father nodded thoughtfully and in understanding at this. "I happened to recall a time when you were still a small child," he said. "I was telling you of the time when I released your Mother, and how I suffered without her."

Neuro's Mother held her husband's hand and nestled against his shrouded side, smiling tenderly at her only son.

"You told me outright that you would never have need of a woman. That you would support yourself and never be caught by the gaze of another. No fleeting fancy, nor deep longing would ever plague you, and you would exist happily without an equal of any category."

The Brain Eater remembered that day. He had been sitting on one of the tables in his Father's study, listening to the stories of how he courted the beauty that became the Mother of his only son.

"So what would you call this…'claim' you have made?" The Demon Emperor asked evenly. "A toy? A puppet? A slave? A tool? A means to an end?"

Neuro considered the many names he had called his Human. A fair number of degrading labels, playful insults and affectionate titles. But one name in particular immediately came to mind. While he had only used the term once, he found it much more to his liking at the present time.

"She is my Partner."

His Mother's glow brightened along with her smile. She held her Demon husband tighter as she and Neuro both awaited his response.

Whatever Brain Eater Neuro had expected, the small box the Demon Emperor held out to him was certainly not it. Accepting the box, the Demon's son turned it slightly so he could open it without its contents falling out. But his obsidian-emerald orbs widened in shock of what he found inside.

Dozens of Demon Batteries. Different from the ones he had before; where the first set had only been gold triangles, these were silver-blue with two different levels and countless etchings into the metal. These batteries were much more powerful that what he had relied on before, and there were certainly more of them crammed into that small box that they were almost ready to burst.

Hopping down to the floor, Neuro faced his parents with unconcealed confusion and awe. "…Why?"

"The Court is willing to grant you some amnesty in spite of your blatant disregard for the Laws," the Demon Emperor said. "It was a fair ruling; almost all understood what is at stake here."

The Brain Eater blinked in uncertainty at his words.

"If you have truly formed some designs upon this girl, it may result in a child of your own," his Father went on. "It is possible that, should you lose track of this Human you have claimed, there will not be an Emperor to follow after you. If that is so, it is imperative that this course is followed through to the end. For the sake of the continuation of Hell's order, and for those that will come after, you are hereby sentenced to return to the Human World Above to claim your bride and continue our Imperial line through her. When situation demands it, you are to return to Hell with her and your son to succeed the throne as Demon Emperor."

Neuro's smile brightened with rising glee. "You are letting me go back."

"On the condition that you contact us regularly," his Mother said swiftly. "The batteries will also act as a method to monitor your condition, should you ever be at risk again. But you are obligated to report back, at least to tell us how you are and if there is any crisis in which you may require assistance."

Neuro looked between his parents, unable to do anything but smile. His only weaknesses in life had always been loving regard for his bright and beautiful Mother and his unspoken awe for his dark and mystifying Father.

The Demon Emperor cast a very long shadow over him as a boy, a shadow from which he never believed he could emerge. He had challenged him often—not unlike how Otto challenged Neuro now—but after a while, Neuro had resolved that he would never be great enough to outdo him.

His Mother was not a Demon. In spite of the crossing out that had resulted in his birth, Neuro was a pure Demon, more Hell Blood than even some that sat in the Demon Court. He could never understand her kindness or her gentle nature, and instead only observed what she needed in order to please her.

All he could do was be different from them in whatever way possible. They were tranquil and reticent, so he was determined to be more colorful, more imposing, and more unorthodox than either the Goddess or the Emperor of Demons had ever been.

And now, whatever their reasons, they had given him a way to return to the feeding grounds he had always longed for, ever since his hunger had awoken as an adolescent. They had given him what he truly needed in order to be whole and of his own making.

Because they were his parents, and because they loved him, they were doing the only thing they could for him by freely letting him go.

Neuro struggled to find something to say. For the first time, his brilliant mind seemed to have escaped and left him grasping at nonsensical sounds and letters cluttered in his memory.

And in the end, the great Demon, 'Brain Eater' Neuro could only say two words:

"Thank You."

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The sky was beautiful. It was, in fact, that Perfect Blue that Yako adored to no end. There were no clouds to be seen for miles, and all anyone could watch in order to tell the airplane was moving at all was the ocean rolling miles below.

But Katsuragi Yako's mind was not on the ocean, or the sky, or even the airplane she sat in.

No, overwhelmed by shock, terror, glee and maybe even love, her eyes and ears and every muscle in her body was focused solely on the figure standing outside her window.

He didn't move in any way he didn't mean to, in spite of the incredible winds that would have thrown any normal person to their death. He smiled that familiar smile, full of teeth and laughter and delight, and met her wide brown gaze with his own emerald embedded in black volcanic soil. He looked just as marvelously terrifying as he did that very first day, years ago. Maybe even more so, as impossible as that seemed.

And like that day she had returned to the office, there was a peculiar sensation of two pieces—beaten and worn by different events—being sewn back together to create one complete image.

The very first thought to penetrate Yako's astonishment was surprisingly down-to-earth.

'_Dammit. He's going to torment me the entire trip home.'_

**Good gravy! 35 PAGES LONG!**

**I hope I didn't lose anyone in the whole shift between Neuro and Yako's time and spaces. I know**_** I**_** almost got lost, but I'm really satisfied with this. Hope that everyone else is too. **

**Debating whether to continue from here, or start a second Affection story with everything that follows. **

**Hmmmmmmmmmmm. . . . . . . . . . . .**


	8. Worldwide - Universal

**After careful consideration, I have decided to divide Anatomy of Affection into two separate fics. I wondered about this for a seriously long while, because these events are not interspersed in between events in the manga, so I worried about possibly losing the same feel that my earlier chapters have. Thankfully, I have settled things with my brain—and I have found EMPLOYMENT again! YAYS!—so I feel much more upbeat and certain about myself.**

**As I hate the idea of posting **_**just**_** to announce something, I have decided to write this little bit to close 'Anatomy' and bring us into the second half of my ****Affection**** brain child.**

**Hope this is good enough to hold everyone over until I get 'A Token of Affection' posted. Enjoy, everyones!**

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**Epilogue -**

"**Worldwide" [Universal]**

The entirety of Hell felt their First Prince's departure. But unlike the first time, he did not rip through the sky to reach his destination. Instead, the Demon Emperor had opened a path himself to allow his son through to that exact world he had sought out, a world rife with Mysteries and Puzzles.

The wind went still. The mountains sighed. The oceans laughed. The fires rolled. The Demon Emperor's Son was gone. While in some part it was a relief, in another way it was something to worry about as well.

"You needn't be so concerned," the Demon Emperor's Wife said, her voice gentle and loving. "His determination matches—sometimes, even surpasses your own. When he sets his mind to something, there is no use trying to deter him. You made the better choice in permitting him to leave, rather than leaving him to try and sneak out again."

The ruler of all Hell had not made any motion, nor said anything that might give any of his Court the impression that he was 'concerned' at all. Like all things, he had remained impassive. And like all things, his beautiful bride had detected something in his ever-still manner that no one else possibly could. It was her way, and none could ever hope to match her.

"It's a Demon's nature to wander, to find something new," she went on easily as she moved to go inside. "It's been so long since there was any departure from Hell that was of any notice. It will be nice to hear what he finds outside."

The Emperor followed his bride with his black eyes, watching her as she moved to go back inside. With every step, there was a trace of light left behind. Though he could never say the light surrounding her never grew dim.

"Did you wish to go with him?"

The Goddess looked back at her dark and terrible husband, silently questioning.

"You always worried about him whenever he drifted out of sight," he said. "He has the habit of making a spectacle of himself. Although he held himself in check when he first stole away, I am certain that he will cause more of a disturbance now that he has our consent."

He already knew that his wife would only smile. "He is still young, to be sure, but an adult all the same. I expect some of his exploits will be…excessive in nature, but I trust he will take necessary precautions."

"But you still wished to go with him," the Emperor went on. "The Way was shut long ago. It has been ages since I last took you Above. Several generations have been born and live without the belief that there even _is_ an Above."

Again, the beauty smiled with understanding. "I will not lie, I do miss seeing blue skies. The worlds that you one took me to, the world I was born into, all so different and familiar. The worlds your Demons visited and told stories of…"

She trailed off as her gaze went up to the black sky overhead. The winds were once again howling past, and she could hear the grinding of the mountains in the distance.

"I remember when word came of what happened in that world. When over a million Demons were imprisoned by a greater force that dwelled there…" she went on with a gentle sigh. "I remember the fear and uncertainty, the need to protect those that were still within your reach. For that reason, you closed off Hell's borders. Only those with express need were given permission to leave. It has been so quiet in comparison to those days…"

The Demon Emperor met his wife's gaze, somewhat intrigued upon seeing her emerald orbs glitter with happiness.

"But Neuro was never content with the silence," she went on, smiling. "He has always stirred up trouble, no matter what he was doing. And I believe that he will bring an end to the silence and all will press forward again."

"Do you?" Her husband asked, though none of his surprise showed in his tone.

"Certainly!" She answered brightly. "When I remember the tales of your youth and how you united Hell under your rule, I know that our son is also meant for such greatness."

She noticed the slightest skepticism in the Demon's stance and laughed lightly. "Change must always come, in their own time and in their own form. Neuro's wanderlust is the key to Hell's future—just as yours was."

The Demon Emperor still felt the odd prick of wanting to be in new surroundings. He could easily create an opening to another world, far more stable than that of his only son's making. But when he had made the law restricting universal travel, the risk of encountering something that would endanger his race any further was one he had been unwilling to take. The Demon Court had agreed wholeheartedly and were at ease when their Emperor had ceased his constant drifting through worlds. After all, the Emperor had a wife and son. There was no longer any need for such travel.

He understood what it cost all of Hell to remain safe. But more than that, he understood what it cost his bride for Hell to maintain itself.

Her world, her dreams, her freedom were all taken from her. The seamless band of silver that circled her right ankle was the most obvious symbol of her captivity. Even when he had released her from Hell, she was forced to return because the bindings of their union caused ill health when she was away from him for too long. But rather than dying in her homeland, she had chosen to return to Hell and live out the rest of her life at his side. It was not until Neuro's birth that he realized what she was meant for, why he had so desperately sought after her, and why she was condemned to live in his world.

The arrival of his son made it clear to all that the Demon Emperor's reign would come to an end, some far off day.

Countless records were lost of the days before his rule, so he was not entirely sure if all Demon Emperors came from the union of a Demon and one from Above. But it was not worth the risk of allowing Neuro's Human to slip away, so he and the Court had agreed to give him leave.

When he finally returned, his Human would be tied to Hell in the same way. She would be lost to her own race, lost to the land and sky of her birth. Never to leave Hell without grim and relentless consequences.

Neuro's bride would hate him, as his Mother hated his Father.

"I understand my purpose," the Goddess said. Being able to read her husband as no one else could, she knew where his thoughts had taken him. "We both realized what brought me here long ago. There is no need to dwell upon it."

She had long since accepted that her sorrow and suffering was the price paid for Hell to continue. Even if she could go nowhere that her husband did not go also, even if she would never see her own Mother or Father and ever again, she understood that she mattered in this dark world.

"Do you not abhor me as you did before?" The Demon asked, his tone as empty and deep as a chasm.

"A part of me will always resent the darkness and the death you brought me into," the great beauty did not think to withhold the truth from her husband. The Emperor never exaggerated and told the absolute truth, no matter how brutal it was. It made no sense for her to do so. "But…"

She paused as a terrible shudder wracked through her frame. The Demon Emperor immediately noticed her discomfort and easily closed the distance between them to pull his cloak tight around her small figure.

The air of Hell was harmful to those not of Hell Blood. If his wife was not properly dressed to withstand the miasma, she would suffer the burns and freeze to death in the overpowering cold-heat. He had long-since taken to giving her furs and clothes that would permit her to step outside the palace for long periods of time. She had not donned any of them to see Neuro off, likely because she was only anticipating a brief good-bye to her son and not a drawn out discussion with her husband.

The Demon Emperor was disappointed that he had not taken note of this before and forced his bride to be exposed to the elements for an unnecessary period of time.

The Demon Emperor's wife, however, smiled in the embrace and held her husband close. His very nature did not require touch as hers did, yet he still crossed the threshold time and time again to hold her or allow her to hold him. Being a Demon, he would never truly understand how much these simple gestures meant to her. How dark day brightened when he brushed her hair. How she felt stronger when he let her cling to him. How she didn't feel afraid when he simply let her sleep against his beast-self.

He would never understand because, being the truest Demon in existence, he did not truly understand love.

But even knowing that he would never truly love her, she reached out and held him, touched his hands and face, and loved him.

"I will regret not getting to see Neuro's marriage," she sighed within the comfort of the Emperor's embrace. "I wonder who this girl is that he is so fond of?"

The Demon was also curious about the female that had captured his son's attention. What sort of Human was capable of dealing with him, of being worthy enough to be called his 'Partner'?

But more than that, there was hardly anything he was willing to deny his bride. When she made a request, or voiced a thought, it was only natural to please her.

"Then we shall not miss the ceremony."

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Jan-jaaa!

Did you like it? Hope so.

Thank you all for your supportive words all this time. You wouldn't believe how much you all mean to me.

Thank you and thank you again!

See you again in **TOKEN OF AFFECTION**


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